Reference no: EM132786832

Assignment: Answer all parts. Be sure to write complete sentences, double space, set one-inch margins, and use Times Roman 12-point font. For the essay questions, aim for one-and-a half to two pages for each.

A. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were the 17th century's preeminent political philosophers.

Identify and briefly explain one important similarity and one important difference in their political philosophies.

B. This semester we have studied state-building in England/Great Britain (which was covered on the first exam), France, Prussia, and Russia, focusing much attention on important rulers such as France's Louis XIV, Prussia's Frederick William the Great Elector, Frederick William I, Frederick II ("the Great"); and Russia's Ivan IV ("the Terrible"), Peter I ("the Great"), and Catherine ii ("the Great"). Among these rulers, select the three you consider the most successful in the task of creating a strong state; rank them as 1, 2, and 3; and explain the reasons for your selections in terms of the quality of leadership each provided and his/her achievements. Finally, what obstacles did each of your choices have to overcome in order to create a strong monarchy?

C. In his essay "What is Enlightenment?" (1784), Immanuel Kant explains enlightenment as "man's release from his self-incurred tutelage." What did he mean? What views did he and the other philosophes advance on three of the following topics: politics, economics, law and justice, sex and marriage, the press, and education? Where possible, be sure to mention relevant books by individual philosophes on the subjects you choose. Why were the philosophes so critical of organized religion? What was Deism and why did so many philosophes embrace it? Briefly explain three important effects of the Enlightenment.

Bonus: What, n your opinion, does it mean to be enlightened today?