The French Revolution: Enlightenment Ideals and Social Change

Key Political and Social Movements

A revolution represents a profound change in the political, economic, or social institutions of a nation.

• Liberalism: Postulates the recognition and guarantee of rights and liberties; the separation of state powers is the political foundation of Western democracies.
• Socialism: A criticism of the social inequalities created by capitalism, where power resides in the working class.
• Nationalism: A feeling of unity that affirms national identity.

The Enlightenment (1721–1794)

An intellectual and philosophical movement characterized by confidence in the light of reason, challenges to Christian revelation, acceptance of a naturalistic religion, the exploitation of nature, civil tolerance, and a belief in the progress of civilization.

Key Enlightenment Figures

• Montesquieu: Separation of powers.
• Voltaire: Theory of individual rights and civil equality.
• Rousseau: The social contract as the foundation of popular sovereignty and government.

The French Revolution (July 14, 1789)

A political event that launched the modern era. It was a process of radical change that sought to end absolute monarchy and transform French society under the postulates of the Enlightenment.

Background: French Society in the 18th Century

French society was rural, stratified, and divided by birth or inheritance:

• First Estate: High nobility (feudal and robe).
• Second Estate: Catholic Church members (upper and lower clergy).
• Third Estate: The commoners, including the high and petty bourgeoisie, professionals, and impoverished rural and urban workers. They comprised 97% of the population and paid all taxes.

Economic and Political Crisis

While the economy experienced moderate growth in 1750 due to coal extraction, textiles, and trade, a string of poor harvests caused food prices to rise. Successive wars with England emptied public finances. When the King attempted to tax the privileged estates, they refused.

By 1770, enlightened members of the Third Estate demanded political and social reforms, which the parliament rejected to protect their privileges. The resulting tension led to the Estates-General in 1788. The Third Estate rejected voting by order, proposing voting by head. When the King and the superior orders declined, the Third Estate formed the National Assembly on June 17. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked the onset of the French Revolution.