The Impact Of The Enlightenment In France Flashcards
Montesquieu key ideas (3)
Defended the nobility and privilege but questioned the structure of political authority
Expressed his ideas in the Persian letters
Argued there should separation of powers in a state
Voltaire - key ideas (3)
Abandoned his career in law to write against hypocrisy and injustice
In support of toleration, civil rights and the right to a fair trial
Imprisoned in the bastille under lettres de cachet
Rousseau - key ideas (4)
He wrote the social contract in 1762
Argued that ‘Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains’ - corrupted by society + politics
Believed gov should protect liberty and ensure equality but decisions should be based on the ‘general will’ of society
The people had the right to overthrow the government that failed to act correctly
Diderot - key ideas (4)
Compiled the encyclopaedia between 1751-1772
Attempted to bring together all human knowledge
Hoped to show how man had mastered the natural world through science and tech
Rejected religion and saw the church as a bar to progress
What was the enlightenment (2)
An intellectual and cultural movement
Stressed the importance of reason, logic, criticism and freedom of thought over faith
Who influenced philosophers (2)
John Locke (1632-1704)
English political philosopher
What was a deists
Accepted the existence of god but criticised organised religion and churches idea of chain of being were the hierarchy of society was divinely ordained
What did philosophers criticise (3)
Church and it’s traditions
‘Divine right’ privileges of the clergy, nobility, guilds and corporations
Emphasis on liberty
How was enlightenment info spread (3)
Coffee houses
Academies
Salons
What is an academie (4)
Clubs for intellectuals interested in political and social matters
Writers, journalist, teachers and artists
Put on lectures, debates and essay competitions
Had reading rooms and libraries
Freemasonry statistics (2)
First lodge founded in France in 1688
By 1744 = 20 in provinces and 20 in Paris
How did salons work (4)
Gatherings took place in homes of influential women
Depended less on social status and more in intellect
Both sexes
Bourgeoisie and nobles exchanged ideas
What did salons do (2)
Broke down social barriers
helped the extension of knowledge
What did poorer do to get enlightenment info (2)
Books were expensive
Novels, plays, journals, newspapers and political pamphlets
Who is Thomas Paine (2)
English political writer = 1737-1809
Emigrated to America
What did Thomas Paine write (2)
‘Common sense’ in 1776
Provided intellectual justification the colonists needed to break from British control
What did the French do to help America (3+)
Supplied aid in secret from early 1776
Pierre Beaumarchais authorised to sell gunpowder and ammunition to America through a French company
By 1777 over 5 million livres of aid had been sent
When and why did France make an alliance with America (3)
From 1778
When America appeared to have a good chance of winning
Celebrated victory in 1783
Marquis de Lafayette (5)
Volunteered for service with the American colonists in 1777
Returned to France in 1781
Elected estates general in 1789
Favoured a constitute monarchy
Helped draft the deceleration of the rights of man
Summary
The intellectual atmosphere generated in the academies and salons and stimulated by the AWoI encouraged criticism of absolute gov and the institutions associated with it
