Enlightenment and the French Revolution

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how revolutionary changes in the leadership of 18th century France did not occur overnight or with some sudden spark of defiance by citizens. It looks at how the events and ideals that led to the French Revolution were part of a gradual, yet dramatic, trend toward individualism, freedom, liberty, self-determination, and self-reliance, which had been evolving over years in Europe, and which would be called the Enlightenment. It examines and analyzes the dynamics of the Enlightenment, and also those individuals who contributed to the growth of the Enlightenment and to the ultimate demise of the Monarchy, in terms of what affect it had on the French Revolution.

Outline
Thesis
Introduction to the French Revolution
Social Issues leading up to the French Revolution
The Enlightenment's Historical Origins
The Scientific Revolution was one of the Engines Driving the Enlightenment
Michel de Montaigne, Charles Montesquieu and Rene Descartes
Enlightenment Heavyweights: Voltaire vs. Rousseau
Rousseau's Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
The Enlightenment's Direct Impact on the Revolution
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"When the legitimate question is raised as to what role, if any, The Enlightenment played in the French Revolution, the best evidence from credible historic sources is that The Enlightenment did indeed play an important role in the transformation of key social and political dynamics leading up to and through the French Revolution. The trends in the early to middle 18th Century indicate that Europeans were in the midst of dramatic social change. For one, secularization was taking place: the Church was losing its once-powerful position; people were no longer true and total believers in the Church's dogma that citizens would be damned if they strayed to a place outside the boundaries of the Churchs influence."

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