HIS241H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Tennis Court Oath, Pierre Bayle, Economic System
LECTURE 2
Thursday, July 5: The Road to the Revolution. Enlightenment and the French
Revolution. / The French Revolution, Part I: Constitutional Phase, 1789-1792.
The Enlightenment
- “Enlightenment is the freedom from self-imposed tutelage. Dark to think.”
- Old World View: authority, religion, privilege, social order, monarchy (divine rights), to
question the natural order is considered sinful
- New World View: reason and rationality solve problems of society, observe and criticize,
natural law and not authority, pursuit of knowledge, question the universe and find
answers, exchange of information, authority only is practical and reasonable,
-natural laws = natural rights: but what are they?
- Society in the enlightenment:
oDecline in court culture after 1715 – mundane; shift to intellectual pursuit, more
educated, middle class focused
oChange in socio-econ enviro – middle class, urban culture, communication
oEcon boom in England and France
ourban culture and increased literacy –
oNew way to communicate ideas – libraries, schools, reading clubs
- Philosophers: ppl embracing popular discourse of reason, society, progress
oConfidence in science, social reforms, reason, intellect, pursuit of knowledge
oApplied, not theoretical approach to the use of such knowledge
oOptimism of progress and the future, and working towards improvement
oCritical approach to current reality and solving problems, and desire to improve
current reality
oInteraction with other philos in discussion of new world view
o[reason, knowledge, social criticism, popular education, public commentary,
intellectual development, lead to progress]
- Bringing change
oInteract with society, using words – write ideas and share them
oSocial critique offering solutions. A group can cause change together
oRepublic of Letters: informal international community
oUse of all possible types of communication: novels, books, music, art, theatre,
public reading, lecture, debates
Early Enlightenment
- Francis Bacon 16th c (knowledge is power), Descartes, 17thc (question everything, no
authority, rational thought),
- Developments: challenges to Christianity
o“noble savage”, ppl who have a goodness, interactive and moral society but are
not Christian – this challenged Christianity
oIndia’s texts pre-date the bible and tell a different story – challenged Christianity
oQuestioning the omnipotence of the church, and dismissal of religion altogether
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Thursday, july 5: the road to the revolution. / the french revolution, part i: constitutional phase, 1789-1792. Old world view: authority, religion, privilege, social order, monarchy (divine rights), to question the natural order is considered sinful. Bringing change: interact with society, using words write ideas and share them, social critique offering solutions. A group can cause change together: republic of letters: informal international community, use of all possible types of communication: novels, books, music, art, theatre, public reading, lecture, debates. Francis bacon 16th c (knowledge is power), descartes, 17thc (question everything, no authority, rational thought), Society creates law, and govt is limited by laws. Political power depends on the obeying of society. Montesquieu: sovereignty comes from ppl, not god: separation of powers judicial, legislative and executive; system of checks and balances for political powers; based on reason, not tradition or privilege. Voltaire: symbol of a persecuted intellectual, made new ideas popular.
