Modern Western Civilization: Writing Assignment I

The 18th century saw one of the most important revolutions in modern Western Civilization, largely in part due to the published works of economists and philosophers. Thomas Mun’s England’s Treasure by Foreign Trade(https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/HIST321-6.1.2-Englands-Treasure-By-Forraign-Trade.pdf (Links to an external site.)) was published in 1664, only several years before the Glorious Revolution. The document expresses Mun’s views on a nation’s need to export more goods than they import. This document largely influenced the mercantilistic economic mentality of many European nations, which is known to have caused discontent among the colonies at the time. John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/locke-the-two-treatises-of-civil-government-hollis-ed) was published in 1689 and is known to be one of the key documents that influenced the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence. Locke’s work outlines his belief of a society based upon natural rights, and the social contract the people and the government enter into to uphold those natural rights. And finally, Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, or more commonly referred to as The Wealth of Nations (https://www.baumanrarebooks.com/rare-books/smith-adam/inquiry-into–wealth-of-nations-with-moral-sentiments/82213.aspx (Links to an external site.)) was published on March 6, 1776, only months before the United States Colonies declared independence from British rule. Smith’s book describes the importance of a free market and the detriment that government interference is on business. Overall, all three of these documents written by economists and philosophers influenced the one of the most important revolutions in modern history, The American Revolution.