CAST 1100H Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Natural And Legal Rights, Wage Labour, Protestantism

• School: Trent University
• Department: Canadian Studies
• Course: CAST 1100H
• Professor: T.Mc Coy

Document Summary

New conception of government and a new conception of individual. Pre-enlightenment= divine monarchy (cant question the kings) The view of the monarch was challenged by the new view of the importance of the individual. The idea of autonomy began to limit what governments could get away with. John locke said people were entitled to resist government if they were being bad. Between the american and france revolution the idea of freedom of the individuals was brought to life. Human beings are created equal and have inalienable rights, rights to life liberty and property. The assumption that the government was there to serve the citizen not the other way around. Liberalism is global (usa, canada, england) but the meaning changes depending societies interpretation of freedom. Liberty: humans are born free, economic freedom, freedom of speech, religion, political. Individualism: pre-enlightenment the individual had no power, placed the individual at the centre of society.