The French Revolution and Enlightenment Philosophers Research Paper by khan
The French Revolution and Enlightenment Philosophers
This paper discusses that the ideas of three Enlightenment philosophers--- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, David Hume and Edmund Burke----which were related to the French Revolution.
# 68859
| 1,675 words
| 7 sources
| MLA
| 2006
|

Published
on Sep 14, 2006
in
History
(European - 18th Century)
, Philosophy
(History - 18th Century)
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Description:
This paper explains that Rousseau, a proponent of equality and freedom, in his "The Social Contract" passionately argued that common consensus should derive each law; whereby the French Revolution saw the end of absolutism in France and the creation of National Assembly, a representative body from among the masses. The author points out that Enlightenment ideas, which were put forth by Hume, furiously attacked religion, especially the Catholic Church, for yielding too much power and spreading falsehoods; whereby, the denouncement of religion is reflected in the French Revolution in the legislation of the "Civil Constitution of the Clergy". The paper relates that, on the other hand, the French Revolution had its critics, such as Edmund Burke, who saw the bloody revolution as corrupt and a threat to traditional establishments.
From the Paper:
"Edmund Burke also views the National Assembly as a corrupt, impractical body. He believes that the masses are utterly ignorant and for leaders to follow them could be disastrous. Here Burke dismisses Rousseau's idea of the general will as he does not believe the masses are capable of policy making. Burke writes, "In this political traffic, the leaders will be obliged to bow to the ignorance of their followers, and the followers to become subservient to the worst designs of their leaders." Unlike Rousseau, Burke believes that the right to vote should only lie in the educated, property owning class."Cite this Research Paper:
APA Format
The French Revolution and Enlightenment Philosophers (2006, September 14)
Retrieved February 05, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/research-paper/the-french-revolution-and-enlightenment-philosophers-68859/
MLA Format
"The French Revolution and Enlightenment Philosophers" 14 September 2006.
Web. 05 February. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/research-paper/the-french-revolution-and-enlightenment-philosophers-68859/>