How far were the ideas of the philosophes responsible for the outbreak of the revolution in 1789?

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How far were the ideas of the philosophes responsible for the outbreak of the revolution in 1789?

The Enlightenment, during the 18th century, was a significant period in history in which a movement of writers and thinkers (the philosophes) emerged in Europe, evolving the thoughts and ideologies of the time. They questioned and challenged a range of views widely accepted and analysed society on rational thought rather than superstition and tradition. The enlightenment and the ideas of the philosophes were somewhat responsible for the outbreak of revolution in France in 1789 and it was widely thought by historians of the past to be the major contributing factor of the revolution, by the means of a conflict between new and old ideas. As time has progressed however, other explanations have materialised such as that of the Marxist and the Revolutionist interpretations. The writings of the philosophes did not solely cause the revolution, but it was also due to a variety of long and short-term factors that combined at the time of coincidental issues outside of human control.

The ideas of the philosophes were influential and extremely radical at the time. The philosophes applied logic and reason to politics; believing in the possibility of creating a perfect society based on a rational basis. Thereupon, this led to the questioning of the existing arrangements and hierarchy of society and in turn to the condemning of the Catholic Church for being wealthy, corrupt and intolerant. It became ‘fashionable’ to be sceptical and irreligious and this undermined a key pillar in the ancien régime; the position of the church and of Louis XVI’s divine rule. The 18th century also saw the development of many literary societies throughout the provincial towns, which extended the influence of the Enlightenment to the bourgeoisie. The ideas of the philosophes however, did not gain mass readership due to the limited circulation of political pamphlets, an increase in censorship and control but also due to the fact, there was still a high level of illiteracy within France. I therefore believe that the Enlightenment and its ideas provided a framework on which the revolution could take place although it did not actively cause the revolution itself.

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The Enlightenment links closely to a long-term cause to the revolution; that of the unfairness of the ancien régime, which refers to the old regime, built up of the three estates with an absolute monarch at the head. The First Estate, made up of the clergy, enjoyed many privileges such as tax exception and tithe collection. These privileges made the clergy appear corrupt with wealth and many bishops did not even visit their diocese. This absenteeism would have made the church very unpopular with ordinary people and would have helped to undermine the ancien régime. Like the first estate, the ...

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