ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introductory summary of the different ideas and theories that arose during the Age of Enlightenment. During this period, philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau tackled daunting questions related to justice, social order, human deviance, and conformity. They focused on the fundamental nature of humankind, positing that humans are inherently altruistic, hedonistic, or bereft of any proclivity at all. The Enlightenment philosophers questioned the natural state of social existence, differing in their interpretations of the ability of humankind to live in harmony unencumbered. Lastly, they debated the role of government and law in providing control or guidance for errant individuals or societies. Although there was scant agreement among these early theorists regarding questions of human nature, the state of nature, and the social contract, they provided a foundation upon which our current understanding of the responsibilities of government, the role of laws, and the purposes of the criminal justice system resides.
