The Impact Of The Enlightenment In France Flashcards
Who was Montesquieu and what did he argue?
A magistrate and president of parlement in Bordeaux, who defended nobility but questioned the structure of political authority and a separation of powers in a state. A legislature, executive and judiciary.
What were Montesquieu’s writings?
Lettres Persanes and L’Esprit des Lois
Who was Voltaire and what did he argue?
A prolific writer, he argues against injustice and supports tolerance, civil rights and a right to a fair trial
What was Voltaire’s work called and when was it published?
Candide (1759)
What did Rousseau write and what did he argue?
The Social Contract in 1762 and he argued that government should protect liberty and ensure equality, if they failed to do so, people have the right to overthrow government
What did Diderot write and in between which years was this developed?
Encyclopédie between 1751 and 1772
How did Diderot view the Church and religion?
A bar to progress
What did philosophes attack in France?
The Church and it’s traditions, ‘Divine Right’, unfair sentences and privileges of the first and second estate
How did Enlightenment spread in France?
Coffee houses, ‘academies’, ‘salons’ and freemasonry
What was drawn up by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 which adopted Enlightenment themes?
Declaration of Independence
How much in aid was spent by 1777?
5 million livres
Who became a hero of the wars?
Marquis de Lafayette
How was the American Revolution damaging to France?
Costs of the war and the boost to Enlightenment thinking
What did the wars encourage?
Criticism of absolute government and institutions associated with it
