From the late 17th to the 18th centuries, a period known as "The Enlightenment" occurred
across Europe, during which a range of philosophical ideas were proposed that challenged
traditional views on monarchy, absolutism, and religion. Anti-clericalism, egalitarianism and
separation of powers, are among the enlightenment ideas. These ideas and theories
significantly shaped the events of the French revolution.
Charles Montesquieu introduced the enlightenment idea of the separation of powers. The idea
opposes the traditional monarchy by proposing that the responsibilities of government be
separated into different branches. Montesquieu argued that if all power is held by one person,
there can be no freedom, for it would be impossible to prevent that person from being cruel and
unjust. This thinking is clear when he said ‘To become truly great, one has to stand with the
people not above them’. The National Assembly, established by the Third Estate because they
realised they couldn't gain fair representation, embodied the spirit of Montesquieu's ideas:
liberte, egalite, and fraterite. This was a breaking point in the events of the French Revolution
because it showed the King that the Third estate would no longer tolerate the unfair treatment
they recieve, igniting the flame for following events. Significantly, this led the tennis court oath,
an agreement that took place on a nearby tennis court when the National assembly discovered
that their meeting place was locked. Here, all but one delegate made an oath to ‘not separate…
until the constitution of the kingdom is established on firm foundations…’, clearly displaying the
Third Estates' desire for a shift in the monarchy, especially one as Montesquieu envisioned, in
which all power was not held by a singular monarch. Therefore, Monstequieu’s enlightenment
idea of the separation of power heavily impacted the course of events during the French
Revolution.
Another enlightenment idea that notably impacted the French Revolution was anti-clericalism.
Anti-clericalism is an opposition to the power of religious authorities, and French philospher
Immanuel Kant wrote extensively on this subject. As seen in the following quotation from Kant,
"Reason can never prove the existence of God," Kant believed that laws shouldn't be based
solely on religious beliefs since God is a matter of faith and cannot be proven by logical
evidence. For years the people believed that the King was a representative of God, but because
of Kant’s theories they began to view him as another human being on their level. This fueled the
Third Estates resentment towards the King, who was no longer seen as a totem, and instead as
a criminal. In particular, his attempt to flee France with his family served as a turning point for
many people of Paris. The king's popularity plummeted, as seen by an artwork titled 'The family
of pigs brought back to the barn' published in 1791, directly referring to the king's flight. He was
found guilty of treason, and over 300 deputies voted in favour of his death, demonstrating
people's anti-clerical attitudes, for no one would accept his execution regardless of the crimes
he committed if they still thought the monarch to be an representative of God. These
anti-clerical views were further reflected when the National Assembly decided to seize the
churchland as a solution to the immediate financial crisis. It was an indication of how people
saw the church differently now and to not as high value as before, and that beliefs such Kant’s
had been popularised. Thus, this shows how Kant’s enlightenment ideas of anti-clericalism
significantly shaped the events of the French Revolution.
Egalitarianism, the enlightenment idea that all people are equal and should have equal rights
and opportunities, was another enlightenment idea that had an enourmous influence on the
French Revolution. One of the most prominent egalitarians was Jean Jacques Rousseau, a
philosopher. Rousseau was adamant that all men were equal and should be treated as such.
'Man is born free. No man has natural power over others; force gives no one the right'. ' says
Rousseau in a pamphlet produced in 1715 but later banned by the French government. It is
evident from this passage that Rousseau is opposed to the idea of one man having control over
another man for no rational reason, displaying his firm belief in equality. Emerging from the idea
of egalitarianism, is ‘The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citezen’ formed by the National
Assembly, directly states that ‘Men are born free and equal in their rights’. This was
revolutionary, because there had always been a hierarchy in France between the three estates,
with inequality as its foundation. It shows the desire the people had to break away from the
hierachy and establish something different which embodied equality and everybody having
equal rights. Hence, the enlightenment idea of egalitarianism drastically influenced the French
Revolution.
Clearly, the egalitarianism, anti-clericalism, and separation of powers values and philosophies of
the Enlightenment were major drivers of change in France. People in the 17th and 18th
centuries were influenced by these ideas, which were made famous by thinkers like
Montesquieu, Kant, and Rousseau, to question traditional views on monarchy, absolute rule,
and religion. Thus, the concepts of the Enlightenment were crucial for in shaping the events of
French Revolution.
