The new views that philosophers had on government were that people needed governments to impose order and that people should give up freedoms to a strong leader in exchange for peace and safety, this is known as a social contract. Monarchy was the best way to do this with a centralized power. John Locke believed that people were all born equal with the rights of life, liberty, and property and that the government had to protect these rights. Rousseau believed that people were born good, but society corrupts people, so if you government should work for the common good in exchange for some loss of freedom. Montesquieu believed that separated branches of government was best so as to not abuse the power and have a system of checks and balances.
