Can anyone help me with this essay question?? Its about the French Revolution...?

Question

I have an essay test in 2 days and this is my question..any input would be nice..its for AP world history. Thanks!

"Assess whether the French Revolution was the realization or betrayal of the ideals of the Enlightenment. "

Answer 1

It was a resounding repudiation of the Enlightenment.

According to the 18th century French journalist, Jacques Mallet du Pan, the works of the philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau, were the "Koran of the revolutionaries." Consequently, the failures of the revolution can be directly linked to the flaws in Rousseau's philosophy.

In "The Social Contract," Rousseau maintained that "Civil Society" emerges from the creation of a "General Will" among the people. The people create this will, and in doing so yield their sovereignty to it. In this regard, Rousseau is in line with the earlier English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, whose works were later repudiated by the Enlightment's most successful political philosopher, John Locke.

Locke maintained that people never yield their soveriegnty to the state, but merely "lend" it based on the continuing good behavior of the government; and that should the government be destructive of the ends for which it was created, the people have the right to replace that government any time they wish. This interpretation informed Thomas Jefferson's views on government which he wrote in the Declaration of Independence.

Both Hobbes and Rousseau believed that the surrender of soveriegnty was permanent. This was a huge mistake. But Rousseau makes more mistakes.

He also maintained that freedom was only possible within the General Will, and that if people did not wish to join, they should be compelled to do so. In other words, since freedom is good, and freedom is only possible within the General Will, the people should be "forced" to be "free." The idea of force as a means of getting people to do what you want them to do, and justifying it on the basis that you know better, and are therefore doing the right thing, flies in the face of the basic paradigm of "Liberty" and the "Rights of the Individual" which lay at the center of Enlightenment thought.

Rousseau exacerbates the problem by announcing that the actions of the General Will are infalible. The General Will can do no wrong. Therefore he is giving absolute power without checks to individuals who will wield the power of the General Will. This was a repudiation of the basic Enlightenment ideals as expressed by both Locke, and another Enlightenment philosopher, the Baron du Montesquieu, whose 1748 book, "The Spirit of Laws" called for limited government through separation of powers, and widespread civil rights and liberties for all.

Enter Robbespierre.

Robbespierre was a committed disciple of Rousseau who saw himself as the embodiment of the revolution and the General Will of the people. He enacted massive reforms which were slow to take hold. And frustrated by the slow pace of reform, Robbespierre resorted to widespread terror as a means of getting what he wanted.

The idea of terror as a means of effecting social change is totally out of sinc with Enlightenment values, but is the inevitable consequence of following a flawed political philosophy that accepts force as a means of compliance, and accords infalibility to those who act in the name of the people.

The resulting chaos of the Terror, caused the fall of Robbespierre, and the eventual rise of the dictatorship of Napoleon. Neither of these men is indicative of Enlightenment values.

The ideals of the Enlightenment were about the liberation of the individual FROM government, and the limitation of government to impose itself on the individual. Men like Locke, Jefferson and Montesquieu were indicative of that trend. Men like Hobbes, Rousseau, Robbespierre and Napoleon were the antithesis of that vision. And as the French Revolution was the product of the later group, it must be viewed as a repudiation of the Enlightenment's core values.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Cheers.

Answer 2

Contrary to the others who said that the French Revolution was a betrayal to the ideals of the Enlightenment, I believe that the French Revolution was a fair realization of the ideals of the Enlightenment.

Why? First, what are the ideals of the enlightenment? The Enlightenment stood against tyranny, tradition and superstition while it fought for the opposite of these three which was reason.

So we ask ourselves, did the French Revolution realized these? Well, yes. It overthrew the monarchy which held France from progressing from a feudal economy and it cut back the powers of the Church, another cohort of the monarchy in keeping France very feudal.

In short, the revolution realized the enlightenment by freeing France from the ideals that made it stagnant from the middle ages mainly absolutism and superstition, the same ideals that the enlightenment wanted to eradicate.

Answer 3

''Liberty, equality, fraternity" were the cries that night in 1789 and the start of what was to be an immense upheaval in France and a revolution against the noble and depraved ruling classes, brought about by the starving population. It was a bold and experimental move as the French deposed and executed their monarch, but how did the principles of the Revolution leave the way open for Napoleon Bonaparte to sweep to power? *This could be your topic statement with the thesis in the second sentence and which you would need to answer in the body of your essay..

Answer 4

Personally I think the answer to the question is a resounding "no". ...but I do nto think that matters for the purposes of your question. Just pick out all the sh1tty things that happened during the revolution and demonstrate how they were in conflict with the ideals of enlightenment. I'm thinking of the Terror ...religious intolerance..conscription...the Vendee...the revolutionary wars.

You will need to balance it a bit to make it look as though you have really thought about it rather than just got some advice from Answers ..so pick out one or two things that might indicate that it was the realisation....maybe some of Tom Paine's ideals....

Oh.....I think Napoleons rise was a product of the betrayal of the enlightenment rather than what made it a betrayal. I would not blame Bonie for trying to sort things out....

Answer 5

"the French Revolution was the realization of the ideals of the Enlightenment. "

The idea of enlightenment is the people had grown past the need for kings.

However the end results failed as mentioned Napoleon got into power. However the concept was correct, the people where trying to be lead by the people, not the Divine rights of Kings.

Answer 6

A betrayal - - - your clue is the word 'enlightenment.' Ideally everyone - - - from King to Commoners would be 'enlightened' by knowledge and together would work out equitable solutions to the problems facing France. Instead of enlightenment France became mired in a bloody brutal civil war.

Peace.....

Answer 7

It was a betrayal. the french got rid of a fairly benevolent monarchy and ended up with...Napoleon...who wanted to rule the world, and embarked on a military campaign thet ended up ruining the French economy for years.

Answer 8

~I'll check back here tomorrow. If you can give me 3 good reasons (in at least 300 words - punctuation, grammar and spelling will count) why I should help you cheat and do your work for you, I'll write your essay for you and guarantee you an "A".

Answer 9

have a look:
http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/P_P_160_Political_situation_in_Britain_after_French_revolution.html
http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/P_H_70_Influence_of_Rousseau_on_French_revolution.html