Causes Of Enlightenment - 1636 Words

The French Revolution is known as one of the most significant events in world history. With the perfect culmination of economic woes and the spreading of new, radical ideas, revolution was inevitable. The cause of the French Revolution can be attributed to many things. However, the most significant cause of this great historical event is the Enlightenment. This essay examines how Enlightenment thinking forever altered the role of the government and its policies in the lives of the French people. Prior to the French Revolution, King Louis XVI was the head of the ancien rà ©gime; he made up the social, economic, and political structure in France and had absolute reign. When he inherited the throne in 1774, at the young age of twenty, it came†¦show more content†¦Some of the ideals broached upon by philosophes like Montesquieu, Rousseau, and John Locke involved democracy, citizenship, and human rights. The works created by the philosophes of the time deeply influenced the sentiments of the economical, social, and political aspects of society and were a direct cause of the French Revolution. One of the Enlightenment thinkers whose work had a deep impact on society and the structure of government is John Locke. In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke touches upon multiple themes of great import to the French Revolution including individualism, the role of property, and the effect absolutism has on personal freedom. He begins his work with a description of the state of nature. In this state, a state of equality, no one has power over another and they can do as they please. Locke goes on to say, â€Å"No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions,† which posits that liberty does not equal permission to abuse others. So even in the state of nature, natural law does exist and these natural laws are universal. As the text continues, Locke critics absolutism when he states, â€Å"A liberty to follow my own will in all things where that rule prescribes not, not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of another m an, as freedom of nature is to be under no other restraint but the law of Nature.† It is notShow MoreRelatedCauses Of The Enlightenment998 Words   |  4 Pagesquestioning the ways of life that’s been followed for a thousand years. Philosophers looked, thought, and wrote about how the society could change for the better. The time period takes place mainly in Europe and it’s known as the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. The Enlightenment happened, but how did it start, and what were the factors that lead to it? The first factor that led to the era was the invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg in 1455. Books, articles, and other paper materialsRead MoreEnlightenment Ideas And Causes Of The French Revolution988 Words   |  4 PagesThere were two main reasons the French Revolution started; the Enlightenment Ideas and the social inequality of the moment. The commoners outraged and fought against Louis XVI and the absolute monarchy of the moment. There are several things that caused the French Revolution. One of them are the Enlightenment ideas, all this ideas of freedom and liberty for the people, equal rights and fair treatment for everyone. Most of the Enlightenment ideas originate in French territory. Another reasons whyRead MoreTo What Extent Was the Enlightenment the Cause of the French Revolution3952 Words   |  16 PagesTo what extent were Enlightenment ideas responsible for the outbreak of the French Revolution and the reforms of 1789? 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Source Evaluation This investigation focuses on the causes of Atlantic Revolutions and will explore the question: To what extent was the Enlightenment the main driving force behind the American and French Revolutions? The years 1685 to 1815 (Strayer, 2011) will be the focus of this investigation to allow for an analysis of the Enlightenment ideas’ impact the need for governmental change in the American colonies and France during the eighteenth century, as well as their governmental influencesRead MoreThe Significance Of The Enlightenment And Modern Judaism1420 Words   |  6 PagesQns 2. Explain and critically evaluate the significance of the Enlightenment to the development of modern Judaism. The Enlightenment and Modern Judaism Sapere aude! The Rise of the Enlightened man. The Enlightenment also known as the Haskalah movement began in the 18th century. In his 1784 essay entitled: â€Å"Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?†, Immanuel Kant (1959) described the Enlightenment as ‘‘man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man’s inability to make useRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Enlightenment1708 Words   |  7 PagesEnlightenment in Europe was a period in which ideas were legitimately from one country to another. It is also known as civilization time where traditional authority was put to the question while embracing the notion of humanity to improve human change. The French revolution was directly in motivation by Enlightenment ideals which marked a peak of its influence and a beginning of its fall. The Enlightenment s imperative of the seventeenth-century forerunners incorporated the Englishmen Francis BaconRead MoreThe Life Of The Buddha936 Words   |  4 Pages2006). Buddhism develo ped and spread because of enlightenment as many people followed the Buddha and desired to find his inner peace . 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