The French Revolution was a violent, brutal, yet arguably necessary revolt against the Monarchs and Clergy members who sought to unfairly tax them in a time of economic crisis and famine...
By h11t5L4RR7
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Thesis Continued
... allowing the people to modernize ideals of a state governed by the public. -
John Locke
John Locke is responsible for developing one of, if not the most critical enlightenment ideas. That being the idea of a person's three natural human rights; their rights to life, liberty, and property. ("John Locke" n.d.) -
Montesquieu
Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, more often referred to simply as Montesquieu, was responsible for the enlightenment ideas that proposed a "Separation of Powers" within a government. The division of power amongst three governing bodies (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) was to prevent the uprising of a tyrannical government and the unjust treatment of a country's people ("Montesquieu" n.d.). -
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was an enlightenment writer famed for his criticization of not only the Roman-Catholic Church but of Christianity as a whole. Aside from his vast portfolio of letters, novels, and plays, Voltaire is most known for his proposition to separate church and state as to prevent religious bias from corrupting a government's ability to run ("Voltaire n.d.). -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau formed the enlightenment idea of a government and its people engaging in a "social contract" that ensured a government would protect a person's individual rights. If the government were to break this contract, then it was the duty of the people to revolt and stand up for their rights ("Jean-Jacques Rousseau" n.d.) -
Immanuel Kant 2
...“The main point of enlightenment is of man’s release from his self-caused immaturity, primarily in matters of religion.” (Green). -
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant, an influential German philosopher brought about the idea of what the main "take-away" or overall idea of the enlightenment should be to the general public. His contributions can be summarized in a single quote, (not to undercut his influence on the Enlightenment and French Revolution as a whole)... -
The Downward Spiral
Following their funding of the American Revolution, France was faced with an economic crisis in which, the French nobles and Clergy members, especially their ruler, King Louis XVI, expected France's common folk to pay the radically increased taxes. This was an obvious violation of the guidelines set by Rousseau and the Enlightenment of a "Social Contract" between the state and its people... -
The Downward Spiral 2
...so, in response, the people of France began to plot their revolt against the king and country that had wronged them (Green). -
Rising Against a King
On the fourteenth of July in 1789, the French people stormed the Bastille and took the entire palace by force (Nutshell). The French revolutionists revolted against King Louis XVI and dismantled the monarchy, coinciding with the ideas presented by Montesquieu about the importance of the separation of powers amongst a government -
A Declaration of Their Own
After the bloodshed and violence of tearing down the old government, the French people sought to make a social contract of their own, both to show their change in government and to adopt the Enlightenment ideas that provide structure for a better country. The three basic human rights outlined by John Locke were important to include in this new social contract to ensure that a person's rights are upheld and represented by the new government (nutshell). -
The Arrival of a New Leader
Though Napolean would go on to seize control of France and declare himself as the country's emperor, during the beginning of his reign as France's leader, he went through a voting system that required him to appeal to the people's interests rather than simply being appointed as their leader through a supposed act of God... -
The Arrival of a New Leader 2
...This showed that France had begun weaving Enlightenment ideals, such as the separation of church and state as proposed by Voltaire, into the very fabric of their government (Green). -
A Solid Foundation
Though France themselves would not become a Republic for many years, they provided the foundation and groundwork for a modern state governed by its people. A quote from Immanuel Kant provides a similar point: "The main point of enlightenment is of man’s release from his self-caused immaturity-." ("Immanuel Kant n.d.) as it states that Enlightenment ideas help to shape a more mature and focused form of thought. -
Works Cited 2
NutshellEdu, director. The French Revolution -In a Nutshell. YouTube, YouTube, 11 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEZqarUnVpo. “List of Intellectuals of the Enlightenment.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intellectuals_of_the_Enlightenment. -
Works Cited
Schwartz. “History 151 The French Revolution: Causes, Outcomes, Conflicting Interpretations.” Causes of the French Revolution, www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist151s03/french_rev_causes_consequences.htm. Green, John, director. The French Revolution: Crash Course World History #29. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Aug. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTvKwCylFY.
