French Revolution- Enlightenment

Who were France's key enlightenment thinkers?

Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Diderot

The main enlightenment ideas

Rule of law, Constitutional monarchy, separation of powers, natural rights, social contract

Social contract

The concept that society must consent and agree to rulers obtaining power and ruling them- Proposed by Rousseau

Rule of Law

Everyone, including government/monarchy are subject to the same law with rights to a fair trial- Proposed by Voltaire

Separation of Powers

Separating some branches of government (judiciary, legislature), devolving some power to the church or nobility-Montesquieu

Natural rights

All men are born with basic rights such as life, liberty and property ownership- Rousseau, Voltaire

Constitutional monarchy

The power of the monarchy is limited by the constitution

What were the economic principles of the enlightenment?

Physiocrats believed in laissez-faire economics, criticisms of mercantilism/guilds/corporations, free trade, equal taxation, preference of direct taxation over indirect

How enlightenment ideas spread

Salons, freemasons, academies, newspapers, pamphlets, cafes and coffee shops

Male urban literacy rate

50%

Urban literacy rate in France

60%

Example of a salonniere

Madame Geoffrin, Madame Necker

How many freemasons lodges in Paris and the provinces by 1744?

20 in Paris and 20 in the provinces

What were 'cercles'

Male versions of salons, normally dominated by the bourgeoisie, (e.g The Society of the Friends of Truth)

How many newspapers were there in 1700 compared to 1785?

3 (all government owned) in 1700, over 80 in 1785

Evidence that the Enlightenment affected the church-

There was a decline in people taking up jobs in the clergy during the 1770s-1780s, decline in religious pamphlets / texts in the same period

What does it mean if a philosophe is a deist?

They want the reform of the church, not the complete removal of it

How much of the population were reached by the enlightenment?

20%

What were the main principles of Montesquieu?

Separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government, defence of noble privileges, limiting mob rule

What were the main principles of Voltaire?

Free speech, separation of powers, toleration, rule of law, right to a fair trial

What were the main principles of Rousseau?

Social contract, general will, popular sovereignty/democracy, the right to insurrect

What were the main principles of Diderot?

Criticism of the church as a bar to progress, secular/scientific thinking, laissez-faire economics

What were the economic principles of Quesnay?

Opposition to mercantilism, laissez-faire, universal land tax, abolishing guilds, monopolies and tariffs

What were the political principles of the Enlightenment?

Social contract, separation of powers, Rousseau supported universal male suffrage, rational/efficient/uniform government system, Montesquieu and Voltaire opposed mob rule

What were the social principles of the Enlightenment?

Natural rights to 'life, liberty and property', religious toleration, rule of law, legal equality, freedom of speech and press, a promotion of education, meritocracy and the end of venality

How many cafes in Paris by 1789?

1600 cafes-- centres for discussion, opening up of the public sphere