Changes

The [[French Revolution]] began as a movement of the [[Third Estate]] for representation by numbers of individuals rather than a single vote per Estate (Of the three Estates-General, the Third Estate, French commoners, represented over 90% of the population).  In addition, it was significantly spawned by anti-clericalism/[[atheism]].<ref>The material was formerly at the University of Cambridge's Investigation Atheism website. A website that closed down. The material has been transferred to [http://www.mmfase.com/18th-century.html 18th Century History], Investigating Atheism</ref>  The 1789 meeting of the Estates-General deteriorated when the demands for democratic representation were not met. The Third Estate quickly formed itself into the [[French General Assembly|General Assembly]] and established the French Republic. The French adopted a vision more closely associated with Rousseau's work ''[[The Social Contract]]''. This vision of French republicanism dictated that the participation of all citizens in the government would create a “general will” which would dictate policy and law.

The [[French Revolution]] began as a movement of the [[Third Estate]] for representation by numbers of individuals rather than a single vote per Estate (Of the three Estates-General, the Third Estate, French commoners, represented over 90% of the population).  In addition, it was significantly spawned by anti-clericalism/[[atheism]].<ref>The material was formerly at the University of Cambridge's Investigation Atheism website. A website that closed down. The material has been transferred to [http://www.mmfase.com/18th-century.html 18th Century History], Investigating Atheism</ref>  The 1789 meeting of the Estates-General deteriorated when the demands for democratic representation were not met. The Third Estate quickly formed itself into the [[French General Assembly|General Assembly]] and established the French Republic. The French adopted a vision more closely associated with Rousseau's work ''[[The Social Contract]]''. This vision of French republicanism dictated that the participation of all citizens in the government would create a “general will” which would dictate policy and law.

Unfortunately, the French Revolution deteriorated after 1793 with the execution of [[King Louis XVI]] and the emergence of [[Maximilien Robespierre]] and other hardliners in the French Assembly. Rousseau's famous lines in his work state that "whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free."<ref>''Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract''</ref> Robespierre took this quite literally to build a homogeneous state and restore order to the nation. There were many dissenters who only joined the revolutionary cause to lower taxes and were unhappy with radical social reform. Thus the [[Reign of Terror]] began and the French Republic deteriorated into arguably the world's first [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] regime. The ascension of [[Napoleon]] to power marked a restoration of order and a more conservative movement.

Unfortunately, the French Revolution deteriorated after 1793 with the execution of King [[Louis XVI]] and the emergence of [[Maximilien Robespierre]] and other hardliners in the French Assembly. Rousseau's famous lines in his work state that "whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free."<ref>''Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract''</ref> Robespierre took this quite literally to build a homogeneous state and restore order to the nation. There were many dissenters who only joined the revolutionary cause to lower taxes and were unhappy with radical social reform. Thus the [[Reign of Terror]] began and the French Republic deteriorated into arguably the world's first [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] regime. The ascension of [[Napoleon]] to power marked a restoration of order and a more conservative movement.

==Leaders==

==Leaders==

Intellectually the Enlightenment was identified with the French "[[philosophes]]" who aggressively spread the new gospel of reason. They were a brilliant collection of scientists, philosophers and writers including [[Voltaire]], [[Montesquieu]], [[Holbach]], Condorcet, [[Denis Diderot]], [[Buffon]], Turgot and [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] in France. Other major leaders included [[David Hume]], [[Adam Smith]] and several others in Scotland; [[John Locke]], [[Edward Gibbon]], [[Samuel Johnson]] and [[Jeremy Bentham]] in England; and [[Johann Herder]], Gotthold Lessing and [[Immanuel Kant]] in Prussia.  

Intellectually the Enlightenment was identified with the French "[[philosophes]]" who aggressively spread the new gospel of reason. They were a brilliant collection of scientists, philosophers and writers including [[Voltaire]], [[Montesquieu]], [[Holbach]], Condorcet, [[Denis Diderot]], [[Buffon]], Turgot and [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] in France. Other major leaders included [[David Hume]], [[Adam Smith]] and several others in Scotland; [[John Locke]], [[Edward Gibbon]], [[Samuel Johnson]] and [[Jeremy Bentham]] in England; [[Samuel Pufendorf]] in Germany;<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Samuel_Pufendorf_and_the_Emergence_of_Ec/3LIKEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA23 Samuel Pufendorf and the Emergence of Economics as a Social Science]</ref> and [[Johann Herder]], Gotthold Lessing and [[Immanuel Kant]] in Prussia.  

===Enlightened despots===

===Enlightened despots===

Some of the Enlightenment leaders of the period challenged traditional Christianity as they adopted God in a [[deist]] form that saw his role as the clockmaker, not the personal guide. While much of the population of the times remained Christian in terms of performing traditional rituals, deism took root in England, France, and the American colonies. Historians have pointed out that argues that belief in Christianity continued to flourish at the grassroots level.<ref>S. J. Barnett, ''The Enlightenment and Religion. The Myths of Modernity'' (2003)</ref>

Some of the Enlightenment leaders of the period challenged traditional Christianity as they adopted God in a [[deist]] form that saw his role as the clockmaker, not the personal guide. While much of the population of the times remained Christian in terms of performing traditional rituals, deism took root in England, France, and the American colonies. Historians have pointed out that argues that belief in Christianity continued to flourish at the grassroots level.<ref>S. J. Barnett, ''The Enlightenment and Religion. The Myths of Modernity'' (2003)</ref>

==Pietism==

 

 

===Pietism===

[[Pietism]] was a new and powerful religious movement that emerged among Lutheran and Reformed circles, especially in Germany.  It stressed a vision of individual rebirth as opposed to ritual and theology, with stress on individual moral behavior. Pietism promoted revivals and missionary activism to convert the world to Christ.  American versions of pietism include the revivals of the [[First Great Awakening]] and was especially manifest in the rapid growth of [[Baptist]] and [[Methodist]] churches.  The First Great Awakening launched [[evangelicalism]] in America.<ref>Thomas S. Kidd, ''The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Great-Awakening-Evangelical-Christianity-Colonial/dp/0300118872/ref=ed_oe_h excerpt and text search]; William G. McLaughlin, ''Isaac Backus and the American Pietistic Tradition'' (1967)</ref>

[[Pietism]] was a new and powerful religious movement that emerged among Lutheran and Reformed circles, especially in Germany.  It stressed a vision of individual rebirth as opposed to ritual and theology, with stress on individual moral behavior. Pietism promoted revivals and missionary activism to convert the world to Christ.  American versions of pietism include the revivals of the [[First Great Awakening]] and was especially manifest in the rapid growth of [[Baptist]] and [[Methodist]] churches.  The First Great Awakening launched [[evangelicalism]] in America.<ref>Thomas S. Kidd, ''The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Great-Awakening-Evangelical-Christianity-Colonial/dp/0300118872/ref=ed_oe_h excerpt and text search]; William G. McLaughlin, ''Isaac Backus and the American Pietistic Tradition'' (1967)</ref>

 

==Ending==

==Ending==

Politically the [[French Revolution]] of the 1790s ended the movement.  Culturally, the rise of [[Romanticism]], with its quest for the unknown future, displaced classical Enlightenment forms, especially in music, painting, literature and philosophy, after 1810.  

Politically the [[French Revolution]] of the 1790s ended the movement.  Culturally, the rise of [[Romanticism]], with its quest for the unknown future, displaced classical Enlightenment forms, especially in music, painting, literature and philosophy, after 1810.  

* [[Declaration of the Rights of Man]]

* [[Declaration of the Rights of Man]]

* [[Natural born citizen]]

* [[Natural born citizen]]

== References ==

== References ==

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

[[Category:Philosophy]]

[[Category:Philosophy]]

[[Category:European History]]

[[Category:European History]]