Enlightenment Thinkers The Enlightenment thinkers, also called philosophes, represented a revolution in the way mankind would think and regard religion, government, and education as well as many other things. Royalty and church authority of the time tried to suppress their ideas. They considered their ideas outrageous and as a threat to the well being of the state and their power. America's founding fathers were greatly influenced by the Enlightenment. Many of its ideas are still …showed first 75 words of 1535 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1535 total…huge influence on Jefferson and the American Revolution. If it wasn't for Locke our government might be very different from what it is like today. Locke's theory that we are all born with certain natural rights, I think, will stand for the rest of humankind's existence. Rousseau had his place in history too. All the philsophes influenced the reformers of the French Revolution but I think it fair it say he played the biggest role.