Study Notes on Absolutism, Enlightenment, and Revolution

Destiny Concept: The idea that individual choices influence the course of events.
Role of Rulers: In absolute systems, a single ruler's decisions can lead to significant consequences.
War as a Result of Choices: Discussion about how choices made by individuals, particularly rulers, lead to wars.

Definition: A governing system where a single ruler holds all decision-making power.
Control Mechanism: To establish and maintain a government where one person makes all decisions.
- Punishment for dissent is harsh to suppress opposition.
Government Structure: Often led by a monarch, such as a Catholic king.

Definition of a Police State: A regime primarily focused on monitoring and controlling its own citizens rather than engaging in international conquest.
- Focus on ensuring citizens are complying with laws, taxes, and maintaining authority.
Goals of Police States: Suppress revolts and maintain absolute authority.
Methods of Control: Persecution and oppression are key tools to maintain power and prevent dissent.

Definition: An economic theory focused on the management of wealth creation, distribution, and control, typically by nations.
Economic Control Mechanism: Wealth is hoarded in the hands of a few, creating a static monetary environment.
- Money is not fluid but instead is funneled to a select few to create stability.
Poverty as a Systemic Feature: Wealth accumulation by few leads to designed poverty for the majority, which is perceived as a natural condition of society.
Support Structures: Supported by municipal tariffs that raise product prices, ensuring that the laborers cannot afford their own produced goods.

Funding the Police State: The money generated from mercantilist practices is used to fund policing and oppression, creating a vicious cycle.
Economic Backbone of Police States: It highlights the interconnectedness of economies that thrive on inequality and state control.

Context: Reaction against absolutism and oppressive governance.
Shift in Philosophy: Challenge to traditional thinking, proposing that societal constructs are artificial barriers to progress and can be changed.
Key Philosophers:
- John Locke: Advocated that government’s role is to protect natural rights that already exist, rather than granting them.
- Adam Smith: Introduced the idea that economic decisions should be guided by supply and demand rather than absolute rulers.
  - Key Work: "The Wealth of Nations" - articulated the need for flexible economic growth.
- Voltaire: Championed freedom of speech and the separation of church and state.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Proposed that people are inherently good; societal structures corrupt them. Introduced ideas of social contracts and direct democracy.
- Mary Wollstonecraft: In "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," argued for equality and the education of women.

Catalyst for Change: The Third Estate representing the bulk of citizens pushed back against their lack of rights and heavy taxation.
Establishment of National Assembly: A pivotal moment in uprising against the monarchy.
Key Events:
- Tennis Court Oath: Commitment to drafting a constitution and remaining united until reforms were made.
- Fall of the Bastille: Symbolic act against monarchical tyranny leading to a revolutionary fervor.
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: Revolutionized concepts of equality, asserting that sovereignty lies with the people.
- Reign of Terror: A period marked by mass executions, including through the guillotine, used as a systematic method to deal with perceived enemies of the state.

Rise to Power: Blended revolutionary ideals with absolute power, promoting meritocracy while restoring some elements of absolutism.
Major Legislation:
- Concordat of 1801: Reestablished relations with the Catholic Church while maintaining state supremacy over religion.
- Napoleonic Code: Codified laws applying to all citizens equally, although often benefitting the bourgeoisie.
Continental System: An economic blockade against Britain that backfired, resulting in dissatisfaction among European allies.

Success of Slave Rebellion: Marked as the first successful slave rebellion leading to the establishment of Haiti as a free nation.
Economic Isolation: Post-rebellion, Haiti faced economic sanctions and reparations that crippled its growth, leading to continued poverty.

New Perspectives on Citizenship: The shift from subjects to citizens highlighted democratic ideals.
Interrelation of Revolutions: The American and French Revolutions signified a break from feudalage to modern concepts of democracy and rights.

Legacy of Enlightenment Ideas: Establishing tolerance, equality, and civil liberties, with a lasting impact on modern governance and societal frameworks.