Bolívar and Enlightenment Ideas
Which of these did you include? Check all that apply.
He believes in and supports the concepts of equal
rights as expressed by Locke.
He is skeptical that representative government can
work.
Sample Response: Bolívar is a supporter of
Enlightenment ideas because he believes in the concept
of equal rights. He personally took steps to free the
enslaved persons his family owned, and to end slavery in
Gran Colombia. In government, he supported the idea of
separation of powers as expressed by Montesquieu.
However, he also favored a strong executive branch and
authoritarian leadership to ensure political stability for
the nation. He also opposed the limited government
supported by many Enlightenment thinkers. These ideas
show that he was skeptical that American-style
democracy could work.
He supports Montesquieu's ideas about the
separation of powers in government.
He believes in strong authoritarian leadership rather
than a limited executive branch.