Although the French and American people had several distinct and differing motives for revolting against their ruling governments, some similar causes led to both revolutions, including the following:Economic struggles: Both the Americans and French dealt with a taxation system they found discriminating and unfair. gmhochster. Philosophers introduced new ideas to the literate elite. Rousseau, Robespierre, and the French Revolution James Read Florida Atlantic University There is little doubt that the French Revolution would not have and could not have taken place without the ideas expressed by the Enlightenment philosophers, which, of course, influenced and motivated some of the Revolution's most notable political leaders. Jean-Jacques Rousseau Swiss-born but appropriated by the French as the intellectual father of their 1789 revolution: his writings on human freedom, equality, popular sovereignty and the return … Montesquieu rejected the theory of the Divine Right of Kings and urged for separation of powers. Among all of the thinkers, Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu were three preeminent figures, and many of their ideas illuminated the path to and were reflected by the French Revolution. They inspired the common mass of France with their revolutionary ideas and prepared them to fight against injustices. The revolution had its inspiration by way of Rousseau and Locke, two prominent philosophers … Home; Our Story; Blog; The Caregiver’s Care Package; Home; Our Story; Blog; The Caregiver’s Care Package Their revolutionary ideas encouraged the French masses to "fight" for their rights, revealing inefficiency. Maurice Cranston discusses the intellectual origins and development of the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a seminal moment in European history that had wide-felt impact. Voltaire was quite controversial in his day, in no small part because of the critical nature of his work. French Revolution Philosophers. Thomas Hobbes. Here we bring you a collection of biographies of some of the most famous French philosophers. Role of John Locke in French Revolution. These philosophers infused independent thinking among the people. Where the needs of the family caregiver come first. Additionally, France’s involvement in the American Revolution, along with extravagant spending practices by King Louis XVI … a.Natural Law b.Free Trade c.Socialism d.Nationalism. Étienne Cabet (1788-1856) inspired Utopian socialist settlements in America. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. 07 November 1913. origins and development of the French Revolution. Maurice Cranston | Published in History Today Volume 39 Issue 5 May 1989 We shall take a look at these views and discover what the contemporaries of the French Revolution felt about the Enlightenment. (i) The philosophers played an important role in the French Revolution. Paine supported the French revolutionary cause and defended the Enlightenment and the French philosophers. The French philosophers took a … The first phase of the French Re- volution was the one in which the dominant ideas were those of Montesquieu, notably those ex- pounded in his masterpiece, ['Esprit François Charles Fourier (1772-1837) was a French socialist much admired by Marx. The French Philosophers. -born in France in 1689 as son of a baron, but given to a poor…. John Locke (1632–1704) was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Describe the contribution of the French philosophers in the outbreak of the Revolution of 1789. Philosopher. 15 October 1926. Voltaire used both wit and sarcasm to prove his points against injustice and cruelty. The French Revolution: Ideas and Ideologies The philosophe may have laid the egg, but was the bird hatched of a different breed? -born in France in 1712; abandoned at early age, had a brutal…. Michel Foucault. "The goal of any political association is the conservation of the … This course covers French politics, culture, and society from Louis XIV to Napoleon Bonaparte. turn from one philosopher of the Enlightenment, to an alternative, competing or rival theorist from the same stable. The most prominent among them were Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau. Published on Nov 8, 2013 Short documentary of the main phiolospher of the enlightement and the french revolution. The founder of positivism was Auguste Comte (1798-1857). Montesquieu in his book, The Spirit of Laws advocated the constitutional form government. During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their countrys political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. Indeed, more specifically, from the philosophies of the Enlightenment, and while many of the philosophies of the Enlightenment contributed to the inception of the French Revolution, the philosophy of rationalism contradicted so much of pre-r revolutionary French society that to subscribe to rationalism at that time was a revolution in itself. The writings and the preaching of the French philosophers prepared the common people for the revolution. Show activity on this post. Voices of the Revolution: Two Great Thinkers. This preview shows page 1 - 5 out of 10 pages. The Founding Fathers were a group of extraordinary thinkers and brilliant men, but throughout the course of American Constitutional History, there were a number of other writers, philosophers, and revolutionaries who helped champion or support the case for American Independence. (2) Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote ‘The Social Contract’. During the period of the French Revolution, Rousseau was the most popular of the philosophers among members of the Jacobin Club. According to him, Kant stated that citizens do not have the right to change the current political system through violence, because no constitution could possibly guarantee the right to overthrow itself, it … 1128 Words | 5 Pages. Rousseau befriended fellow philosophy writer Denis Diderot in 1742, and would later write about Diderot's romantic troubles in his Confessions. Read on and find out all about their life stories, timelines and also few interesting facts & trivia related to their lives. One way in which Robespierre and Louis XVI of France are similar is that both a.Implemented policies of religious tolerance Mary Wollstonecraft. Role of philosophers in the French Revolution: (1) John Locke wrote ‘Two Treatises of Government’ and criticized the divine and absolute rights of the ruler. I'm reading an essay written by the Italian philosopher Remo Bodei, where he examines the thoughts of some German philosopher on the french revolution and revolutions in general. The Influence of Voltaire’s Philosophical Works on the French Revolution The philosophical works of Voltaire, such as Candide, influenced the beginning of the French Revolution, promoting new ideas and concepts. Francois-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), also known as Voltaire, was no doubt one of the most influential philosophers throughout the entire Enlightenment period. What principle of the Enlightenment philosophers is expressed in this quotation from the French Revolution? First Published: August 28, 2016 | Last Updated:August 28, 2016. Explain the role of thinkers and philosophers in the French Revolution. The elite put those ideas into motion. The French Revolution was the result of a culmination of ideas. Prominent French intellectuals carried the cause of enlightenment forward like Montesquieu; Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Quesnay, Tourge and D ‘Alembert. “It is the fate of great achievements, born from a way of life that sets truth before security, to be … French philosopher. It resulted in a period of radical social upheaval and genocide that changed the course of civilization. a. Rousseau, in his book ‘Social Contract’, announced that sovereign power lay in popular will. The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. Their famous debate is available to us today, through collections of their works, both off and on the Internet. However, the French Revolution was similar in that it hailed the principles of Enlightenment thinking. Albert Camus. Influence of Philosophers: French philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu inspired the people with revolutionary ideas of liberty and equality. François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment His articulation of the theory of separation of powers He did more than any other author to secure the place of the word despotism In the 18th century, many French thinkers who inspired the French Revolution of 1789-1799 AD, including François Marie Arroy, known as Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Denis Diderot, emerged in the 18th century. “Voltaire” is the pen name under which French author-philosopher François-Marie Arouet published a number of books and pamphlets in the 18th century. The French Revolution was quite different than the American Revolution both in cause and result. The upheaval was caused by widespread discontent with the French monarchy and the poo… Answer: (i) Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were many French philosophers and thinkers like John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and Mirabeau, who exposed the evils prevailing in the system. A New Philosophical Beginning The Philosophy of the Enlightenment began with Rene Descartes’ (1596-1650) tremendous decision to reject all previous philosophy as uncertain and make a fresh beginning with the facts that he could be absolutely certain of: namely the fact that he was thinking, … He was born shortly before the English Civil War. He was a key figure in the European intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment. Ans. (ii) They did not believe in the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch. Baron de Montesquieu. 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