The Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Mary Woolstonecraft helped change the way people think and live resulting in the French Revolution that helped change the world today.
By evelyn789
-
John Locke
“John Locke studied government and came to many conclusions; the role of government is to protect citizen’s natural rights”(cram.com). John Locke explains how the roles of the government are to protect the citizens natural rights and that the government should care about the people and not just tax them. The government plays an important role in society so it should be just as important to the people. -
Montesquieu
“The young Montesquieu, at 27, was now socially and financially secure. He settled down to exercise his judicial function (engaging to this end in the minute study of Roman Law, to administer his property, and to advance his knowledge of the sciences” (Britannica). Montesquieu wanted to help further advance science to help the people and nation. If the sciences became more advanced people could do more and more things that could be possible to achieve with the knowledge of new things. -
Voltaire
“In 1745, Voltaire was named the Royal Historiographer of France, a title bestowed upon him as a result of his histories of Louis XIV and the Swedish King Charles II” (Stanford.edu) Voltaire studied the past writings of other Historians in an effort to learn about multiple methods of research to help further advance the knowledge of himself and government . -
Causes of the French Revolution
“During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system” (History.com) The French wanted to redesign their country and update their ways of thinking. This connects to the enlightenment because many of the thinker's wanted to change the way of the government which led to the modernization of our government today. -
Social Causes of the French Revolution
“Although self-sufficiency or local exchange remained the preponderant way of economic life, these incursions of capitalism began drawing everyone into some form of regional and even international exchange” (Revolution.org). -
Social Causes of the French Revolution 2
During the French Revolution people learned the way of the economic life and wanted to change many of the Enlightenment thinkers thought of these ideas and wanted ways of change because they were tired of the way France had been running and thought that it could be a better place if they share their thoughts of how change could happen . -
Mary Wollstonecraft
“In 1792, she wrote 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman'. Wollstonecraft had begun to appreciate that the new liberty unleashed by 1789 had gone more to men than women, and she wouldn't stay silent about it. She argued tirelessly that women were no less human beings than men and, as such, deserved the same fundamental rights - the rights of the Revolution” (Radical Tea Towel). -
Mary Wollstonecraft 2
Mary Wollstonecraft was a major female voice of the Enlightenment and she wanted betterment of women's status through such political change as the radical reform of national educational systems which would benefit all of society. -
Economic Causes of the French Revolution
“So they influenced the people for revolution. They aroused the common people about their rights. Thus, the common people became rebellious” (Historydiscussion.net). -
Economic Causes of the French Revolution 2
At this time people began to develop democracy, citizenship, and individualism and gave the common people more freedom to express their thoughts. Many Enlightenment thinkers spoke of these aspects and wanted to reform the government and give people their individualism so that they had rights and freedom of speech rather than all being controlled by the government . -
Social Causes of the French Revolution
“The Social condition of France during the eighteenth century was very miserable. The then French Society was divided into three classes— the Clergy, Nobles and Common People” Within the French Revolution it was a very brutal War and French was very miserable and sad at the time but throughout the fighting the people in the ideas of the pursuit of happiness, sovereignty of reason and advanced ideals such as liberty, because they wanted change and a better life . -
Works Cited 6
“Social Causes of the Revolution.” LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY: EXPLORING THE FRENCH REVOUTION, revolution.chnm.org/exhibits/show/liberty--equality--fraternity/social-causes-of-revolution. -
Enlightenment Today
There is still Enlightenment ideas today like the ideas of political and individual liberty, human rights, faith in scientific reason, secularism, and the freedom of public debate. -
Works Cited 1
“Impact Of John Locke And The French Revolution.” Cram, www.cram.com/essay/Impact-Of-John-Locke-And-The-French/PKQGWJ6H9J55W. -
Works Cited 2
“Montesquieu.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Montesquieu. -
Works Cited 3
Shank, J.B. “Voltaire.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 29 May 2020, plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/#FreNewEnlPhi174. -
Works Cited 4
“Mary Wollstonecraft: Finding Feminism in the French Revolution.” Radical Tea Towel, radicalteatowel.co.uk/radical-history-blog/mary-wollstonecraft-finding-feminism-in-the-french-revolution. -
Works Cited 5
History.com Editors. “French Revolution.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/france/french-revolution. -
Works Cited 7
“Causes of French Revolution: Political, Social and Economic Causes.” History Discussion - Discuss Anything About History, 8 Aug. 2015, www.historydiscussion.net/world-history/french-revolution/causes-of-french-revolution-political-social-and-economic-causes/1881.