The Atlantic Revolutions
The Atlantic Revolutions came about right after the
Enlightenment, which must’ve been anticipated. People were seeking out the truth
and throwing out inherited knowledge. The idea to improve social conditions by
changing the current political and social arrangement was surely to follow. The main
idea behind the Atlantic Revolutions was “popular sovereignty”, which means a
government that is separated from the church and established tradition. It was
a push for new leadership, where liberty, equality, free trade, religious
tolerance, and human rationality are present. Within this new governance,
philosopher John Locke brought the idea of “social contract”. The social
contract is the agreement between the rulers and ruled, with serving its people
as the main priority.
What I found interesting about the social contract is that
it was basically an agreement between the middle class white men. The black
slaves, women, Native Americans, and men without properties did not benefit
from this agreement. In other words, the newly formed liberty did not create
equality.
No comments:
Post a Comment