The document discusses the intellectual foundations of revolution. It describes the views of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, who influenced ideas during the Enlightenment. Hobbes believed humans were inherently evil and needed a strong ruler, while Locke believed people could govern themselves and had natural rights to life, liberty, and property. These ideas influenced other thinkers like the French philosophes who wanted to improve society. Figures like Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau expanded on these foundations by advocating for freedom of thought, separation of government powers, and the ability of people to shape their own governments.