1) Man is born selfish but can give up some freedom in return for security provided by the government.
2) Both believed in the theory of a social contract.
The social contract is a theory that arose throughout the Age of Enlightenment and regularly involves the legitimacy of the state´s authority over the individual. Some of its most notable theorists were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
3) The French provided financial support to the American revolutionaries, causing massive debt that led the French king to raise taxes.
When American colonists won independence from Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, the French, who participated in the war themselves, were both close allies and key participants. They were inspired by the American fight against a taxation system they found discriminating and unfair, and their battle against absolutism and unequal rights.
4) It used humor to show the need for social reform.
Candide (1759) is a French satire by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment.
1) Man is born selfish, but can give up some freedom in return for security provided by the government.
Contrary to other philosophers, Hobbes had a mostly negative view of humans. He believed that people were naturally greedy, selfish and violent, and that this meant that relationships among people that were kind and generous was impossible unless a third party intervened. This party was the government. Therefore, only the government, in exchange for some of our freedom, could ensure our safety.
2) Both believed in the theory of a social contract.
A social contract is an agreement that exists between the government and the people of a country. Both Locke and Rousseau believed this agreement to be the origin of society. Both of them, moreover, believed that the existence of a contract meant that the power of government was limited.
3) The French Revolution inspired Americans to break away from their mother country.
The French Revolution was a source of inspiration to a lot of countries. People who believed in the ideas of Enlightenment saw it as a way to resist oppression and defend freedom and equality. The ideas that were developed during these years in France and that guided the Revolution were imported to America, where they guided the Revolutionary War.
4) It used humor to show the need for social reform.
The novel Candice by Voltaire is an example of satire, and therefore, it uses humour to show the need for social reform. The novel mocks the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, which led to the novel being banned in many parts of Europe.
