Adam Smith And Voltaire Similarities

The late 17th and 18th century was an intellectual, philosophical movement known as The Enlightenment or the "Age of Reason." During the Age of Reason, there were many new ideas that were created by the "thinkers" or philosophers. Some philosophers of the Enlightenment included, Adam Smith, John Locke, and Voltaire. While these thinkers had many different ideas about religion, nature, liberty, and humanity, they possessed several similarities. Equality of men and a government obligated by the people was an important part of John Locke's ideas on government. Locke mentions individual freedom in his writing; "(W)e must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose

He discusses the importance of individual freedom in religion when he writes " If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary [unrestrained]; if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace." Although religion was an essential idea of Voltaire's, it can be argued that individual freedom was the central concept in the philosophers discussion of religion due to the fact that he argues that individuals must be given the freedom to practice a religion while avoiding conflict with the government. Given this liberty, it will also grant people with happiness and peace. Natural liberty, a philosophy of Adam Smith's, was among one of the important ideas on economics. Smith also discusses the importance of individual freedom as it regards to self-decision making benefiting economic status as a society when he writes " As every individual, therefore, endeavors as much as he can both to employ his capital [money] in the support of … industry, and so to direct that industry that