Causes of the

French Revolution

Sapereaude

Superstition, ignorance, religion leading to... Acceptance of inequality, despotism

These things underpinned the Ancien Regime Resulted in mass poverty, servitude of the many

to the few

The Church seen as blocking the light of reason until the Renaissance (C.16th) Example: Galileo Galilei People had not always been so superstitious Ancient scholars knew much that had to be

rediscovered The Library of Alexandria

“Écrasez l’infâme!” – Voltaire “Crush infamy!” Meaning the ecclesiastical misuse of power

Renaissance: 14th – 17th centuries Start of educational reform, traditionally Church’s role

Re-birth of the ancient era’s literature and culture Especially mathematics, science, philosophy

Influenced art, literature and culture of Europe

Changed approach to traditional thinking, ideas

Reformation: 16th – 17th centuries Attacked some Roman Catholic beliefs, teachings Buying indulgences; role of priests; superstitions

Scientific Method: pioneered in C17th

Inductive (logical, reasoned) empirical approach Newton’s (1643-1727) discoveries showed secrets of natural world

could be discovered – God’s secrets not mystical, magical

Reason and logic could uncover them

As you watch the excerpt, make notes on why the Enlightenment was so dangerous and threatening to the traditional order of things.

Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Turgot, Montesquieu

Écrasez l’infâme! - Voltaire on Catholic Church

Rousseau – Discourse on Inequality: It is against nature that a handful of people

should gorge themselves on superfluities while the hungry multitude goes in want of necessities

Rousseau – The Social Contract You are lost if you forget that the fruits of the

earth belong to no-one and that the earth itself belongs to everyone

Each is born with a natural desire to play a useful part in the community, but the systems of rule we’ve built prevent this from happening

Everyone should participate, and flourish, in the state whilst submitting to the will of that state

Turgot: Nature has given to all the right of being happy

Montesquieu: no one person should wield the three sorts of power Legislative The power of making laws

Executive The power of putting laws into effect

The power of actually ruling

Judicial The power of judging crimes

Hence the separation of powers in the new United States’ Constitution following the War of Independence

Spread amongst educated, upper classes

Salons

Challenge to Absolutism

American War of Independence

Encyclopédie – Diderot

Censorship (lifted 1788)

Pocket books –Voltaire

Hidden pages

Popular fiction

Pornographic philosophy

Robespierre – bringing Enlightenment into legal cases

Ideas developed and spread as France’s crises worsened