2.1.6 Other Classical Liberal Thinkers

In the first part of this unit, you learned that in the past, people were not all considered equal, and there was no political accountability for absolute monarchs. Only a few number of merchants and professionals enjoyed some economic and political power under a rigid class structure. Due to a number of factors, many began to question the lack of political and economic power help by the masses.

Between the 1600-1800s, movements from the Reformation to the Renaissance in Europe led to a greater belief in the importance of the individual and the power of reason. These two movements led to what is known as the Enlightenment, or Age of Reason. During this time, a disparate group of people began to question certain social, political and economic ideas.

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A few of the most prominent classical liberal thinkers are below. Each one provided fundamental ideas that led to the development of classical liberal thought. Click on the hyperlink of each name to learn more about their ideas and contributions. While reading, complete the organizer available below.

Pastel portrait of Voltaire, 1735 by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Voltaire Francois-Marie Arouet 1694-1778

Portrait of Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu by Jacques-Antoine Dassier, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Baron de Montesquieu  1689-1755

"John Stuart Mill", 1870, photo by the London Stereoscopic Company, Courtesy of the Hulton Archive. Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain John Stuart Mill  1806-1873