Chapter 2 - The Impact Of The Enlightenment In France Flashcards
(25 cards)
What was the Enlightenment?
An intellectual and cultural movement
Where did the Enlightenment take place?
Across Europe
What did they question?
Traditional assumptions
Ideas
Institutions
Church
Society
What does dogma mean?
Belief or principle that has been asserted as true without question
What were the main thinkers of the Enlightenment called?
Philosophes
Who were the main philosophes called?
Montesquieu
Voltaire
Rousseau
Diderot
What did Montesquieu think?
Defended nobility but questioned royal absolutism
Believed in the separation of powers e.g executive, legislature, judiciary
What did Voltaire think?
Criticised Catholic Church
Defended royal authority
Imprisoned in Bastille
What was a famous quote by Voltaire?
‘I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’
What did Rousseau think?
Government was a contract between the people and their rulers
People had the right to overthrow their government if they act incorrectly
What did Diderot think?
Made the Encyclopédie with over 100 french thinkers circulating technological and scientific ideas
What was one of the main areas that the philosophes attacked?
The Church and it’s traditions
What did they dislike about the church?
Organised religion and ‘chain of being’
The control they had by ‘ignorant masses’ in fear of eternal damnation
What were the main things the philosophes questioned with the monarchy?
Divine right
Checks and balances
Rule of law
What did Francois Quesnay think?
Abolish monopolies, guilds, tariffs and special privileges
What is mercantilism?
Strict state regulation of the economy
E.g. trading companies, monopolies, taxes
What does laissez-faire mean?
Limited government intervention
Fair competition
Where were ideas of the Enlightenment spread?
Salons
Masonic lodges
Cafes
Newspapers
Academies
What were salons?
A gathering of educated people
What were Masonic lodges?
Places where Freemasons would chat
They came from wealthy sector of society
Wanted to help charity
How many newspapers were there by 1785?
80
Compared to 3 in 1700
What were Academies?
Clubs for intellectuals
Had lectures, debates and writing competitions
Why were ideas of the Enlightenment restricted?
You needed to be educated
60% of France were literate but not the lower levels of society
Books were expensive
When was the American War of Independence?
1778
