Biografias De La Historia

Charles Louis de Secondat
Charles Louis de Secondat was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1689 to a wealthy family. Despite his family's wealth, de Decondat was placed in the care of a poor family during his childhood. He later went to college and studied science and history, eventually becoming a lawyer in the local government. De Secondat's father died in 1713 and he was placed under the care ofhis uncle, Baron de Montesquieu. The Baron died in 1716 and left de Secondat his fortune, his office as president of the Bordeaux Parliament, and his title of Baron de Montesquieu. Later he was a member of the Bordeaux and French Academies of Science and studied the laws and customs and governments of the countries of Europe. He gained fame in 1721 with his Persian Letters, which criticized thelifestyle and liberties of the wealthy French as well as the church. However, Montesquieu's book On the Spirit of Laws, published in 1748, was his most famous work. It outlined his ideas on how government would best work. Montesquieu believed that all things were made up of rules or laws that never changed. He set out to study these laws scientifically with the hope that knowledge of the laws ofgovernment would reduce the problems of society and improve human life. According to Montesquieu, there were three types of government: a monarchy (ruled by a king or queen), a republic (ruled by an elected leader), and a despotism (ruled by a dictator). Montesquieu believed that a government that was elected by the people was the best form of government. He did, however, believe that the success of ademocracy - a government in which the people have the power - depended upon maintaining the right balance of power.

Baron De Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on June 28, 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. His mother died shortly after his birth. When Rousseau was 10 his father fled from Geneva to avoidimprisonment for a minor offense, leaving young Jean-Jacques to be raised by an aunt and uncle. Rousseau left Geneva at 16, wandering from place to place, finally moving to Paris in 1742. He earned his living during this period, working as everything from footman to assistant to an ambassador. In his early writing, Rousseau contended that man is essentially good when in the "state of nature" (the state ofall the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made unhappy and corrupted by their experiences in society. He viewed society as "artificial" and "corrupt" and that the furthering of society results in the continuing unhappiness of man.

Francois Marie Arouet

Francois Marie Arouet was born on November 21, 1694 inParis. Voltaire’s intelligence, wit and style made him one of France’s greatest writers and philosophers. Young Francois Marie received his education at ―Louis-le-Grand,‖ a Jesuit college in Paris where he said he learned nothing but ―Latin and the Stupidities.‖ He left school at 17 and soon made friends among the Parisian aristocrats. His humorous verses made him a favorite in society circles. In1717, his sharp wit got him into trouble with the authorities. He was imprisoned in the Bastille for eleven months for writing a scathing satire of the French government. During his time in prison Francois Marie wrote ―Oedipe‖ which was to become his first theatrical success, and also adopted his pen name ―Voltaire.‖ In 1726, Voltaire insulted the powerful young nobleman, ―Chevalier De Rohan,‖and was given two options: imprisonment or exile. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While in England Voltaire was attracted to the philosophy of John Locke and ideas of mathematician and scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. He studied England's Constitutional Monarchy and its religious tolerance. Voltaire was particularly interested in the philosophical rationalism of the time, and in...