Topic Introduction:
Stemming from the Enlightenment are fundamental concepts that sparked the American and French Revolutions. Of these enlightenment ideals, reason is by far the most important. Reason – the freedom to think and act for oneself – is a core value that stems from this era. Kant argued that be human is to abandon a life of unreason or a reliance on faith and superstition. Reason, Kant claims, is the true meaning of humanity. Reason is the sign of maturity. As such, as we grow and develop as an autonomous person, then we gain reason and knowledge to become an enlightened being. Through reason and autonomy we can find truth. This truth we seek is found through science; not opinion, through inquiry; not blind faith.
Equally, the Enlightenment brought forth the idea of secularism. Through secularism church and state separated. No official religion could be forced upon another being. Religion became a private matter and government became a popular and public matter. Through the belief of secularism, people realized that they themselves could rule. The middle class became a large part of the political structure. As the middle class developed, a democracy formed giving the voice to the people – again this adds to the importance of reason. Finally, another lasting core value is universalism. As the human condition and autonomous developed so did the belief of freedom and liberty. These beliefs were universal, as we will note later in this paper. During this Enlightenment, the values of freedom, liberty and reason are believed to be universal among all persons regardless social class. Through these Enlightenment ideas, the philosophy began to take a more critical thinking notion. An importance build in the historical discipline was not about studying the history that has been written but to study the interpretations. The purpose of thought in the eighteenth and nineteenth century is to enlighten and build on the subject material in a more creative stance. As such, through this essay we will explore the cultural factors of the American and French revolutions; furthermore, a comparative analysis of the impact that Enlightenment ideas had on the society will ensue. Historiography: Leading up to the American and French Revolutions, societal struggles and factions rose to unsurpassable levels. In the British Colonies, the social climate pinned brother against brother, the wealthy merchant against the laborer. In addition to colonial factions, the British authority continued to make lives worse adding to an insurmountable livelihood. This pitted the colonists against themselves (Tories v. Patriots); equally, it pitted the colonists (Patriots) against the Crown. During the Revolution and the years after, the interpretation and thoughts of the War have developed and changed. Under Patrician interpretation Loyalists wrote about the histories of the American Revolution; in addition to the Whigs. Loyalists like Joseph Golloway and Peter Oliver wrote histories that vindicated British action. They believed that …show more content…
Of these causes, there are three principle cases that standout as contributing factors for the French Revolution. And for the general purpose of comparing the French and American Revolution, we will address those social concerns. The French people were separated into three estates. The First Estate, primarily, religious orders, was small, about one-percent of the society; and fell under a tax exemption under French law. The Second Estate reserved for nobility and wealthy landowners comprised up to two-percent of the population. Though the wealthiest, this Estate was also tax-exempt. The largest estate, comprising ninety-seven-percent of the French society was everyone else not included in the first two estates. This class paid all the taxes and had little to no say in the …show more content…
Through historiography, different ideas on what exactly happened and why have changed the historical footprint. In colonial America, for instance, people from all lifestyles depended on the customary aspects of life, the “essential needs.” However, like today, we tend to live a bit more beyond our means. For the colonists they equated themselves with British society. Colonists wanted to be equal to the Britons, as the British merchant community was the only market for the fine and “delicate” items. This exuberant lifestyle, following the Seven Years War, positioned the colonists against each other. Social class division erupted and drastically positioned the wealthy merchants against the poorer
Stemming from the Enlightenment are fundamental concepts that sparked the American and French Revolutions. Of these enlightenment ideals, reason is by far the most important. Reason – the freedom to think and act for oneself – is a core value that stems from this era. Kant argued that be human is to abandon a life of unreason or a reliance on faith and superstition. Reason, Kant claims, is the true meaning of humanity. Reason is the sign of maturity. As such, as we grow and develop as an autonomous person, then we gain reason and knowledge to become an enlightened being. Through reason and autonomy we can find truth. This truth we seek is found through science; not opinion, through inquiry; not blind faith.
Equally, the Enlightenment brought forth the idea of secularism. Through secularism church and state separated. No official religion could be forced upon another being. Religion became a private matter and government became a popular and public matter. Through the belief of secularism, people realized that they themselves could rule. The middle class became a large part of the political structure. As the middle class developed, a democracy formed giving the voice to the people – again this adds to the importance of reason. Finally, another lasting core value is universalism. As the human condition and autonomous developed so did the belief of freedom and liberty. These beliefs were universal, as we will note later in this paper. During this Enlightenment, the values of freedom, liberty and reason are believed to be universal among all persons regardless social class. Through these Enlightenment ideas, the philosophy began to take a more critical thinking notion. An importance build in the historical discipline was not about studying the history that has been written but to study the interpretations. The purpose of thought in the eighteenth and nineteenth century is to enlighten and build on the subject material in a more creative stance. As such, through this essay we will explore the cultural factors of the American and French revolutions; furthermore, a comparative analysis of the impact that Enlightenment ideas had on the society will ensue. Historiography: Leading up to the American and French Revolutions, societal struggles and factions rose to unsurpassable levels. In the British Colonies, the social climate pinned brother against brother, the wealthy merchant against the laborer. In addition to colonial factions, the British authority continued to make lives worse adding to an insurmountable livelihood. This pitted the colonists against themselves (Tories v. Patriots); equally, it pitted the colonists (Patriots) against the Crown. During the Revolution and the years after, the interpretation and thoughts of the War have developed and changed. Under Patrician interpretation Loyalists wrote about the histories of the American Revolution; in addition to the Whigs. Loyalists like Joseph Golloway and Peter Oliver wrote histories that vindicated British action. They believed that …show more content…
Of these causes, there are three principle cases that standout as contributing factors for the French Revolution. And for the general purpose of comparing the French and American Revolution, we will address those social concerns. The French people were separated into three estates. The First Estate, primarily, religious orders, was small, about one-percent of the society; and fell under a tax exemption under French law. The Second Estate reserved for nobility and wealthy landowners comprised up to two-percent of the population. Though the wealthiest, this Estate was also tax-exempt. The largest estate, comprising ninety-seven-percent of the French society was everyone else not included in the first two estates. This class paid all the taxes and had little to no say in the …show more content…
Through historiography, different ideas on what exactly happened and why have changed the historical footprint. In colonial America, for instance, people from all lifestyles depended on the customary aspects of life, the “essential needs.” However, like today, we tend to live a bit more beyond our means. For the colonists they equated themselves with British society. Colonists wanted to be equal to the Britons, as the British merchant community was the only market for the fine and “delicate” items. This exuberant lifestyle, following the Seven Years War, positioned the colonists against each other. Social class division erupted and drastically positioned the wealthy merchants against the poorer