Old Regime (15th-18th Centuries): Society & Economy

The Old Regime (15th-18th Centuries)

The Old Regime, or *Ancien Régime*, refers to the period before the French Revolution. It was characterized by a stratified society, an agricultural economy, and, primarily, absolute monarchy.

Population Dynamics

• High birth and death rates.
• Slow population growth.
• Frequent demographic crises (wars, epidemics, crop failures).
• Life expectancy around 40 years.
• Predominantly rural population.

A Stratified Society

Society was divided into rigid social groups:

• Privileged: Nobility and Clergy.
• Non-privileged: The Third Estate (everyone else).

Nobility

• Status by inheritance.
• Extensive land holdings.
• Tax exemptions.
• Special courts and legal treatment.
• Held high political positions.
• Internal hierarchy: High Nobility (e.g., Dukes, Counts) and Lower Nobility.

Clergy

• Similar privileges to the nobility.
• Numerous possessions.
• Significant influence, including control over education.
• Internal hierarchy: High Clergy (Cardinals, Archbishops) and Lower Clergy (priests, nuns).

The Third Estate

• The vast majority of the population.
• No privileges.
• Subgroups:
  • Peasants
  • Urban Workers
  • Bourgeoisie (merchants, professionals)
  • Ethnic Minorities

Economic Activities

Agriculture

Agriculture was the dominant economic sector, employing most of the population. Characteristics included:

• Rudimentary techniques.
• Low yields.
• Use of fallow land (biennial or triennial crop rotation).
• Main crops: wheat, barley, oats, and grasses.

Crafts

• Guild-based production (craftsmen).
• Domestic system (putting-out system).
• Manufactories (large-scale workshops producing goods like tapestries and crystals).

Trade

• Increased money supply.
• Emergence of banks and credit systems.
• Formation of large trading companies.
• New trade routes.
• Dominant economic system: Mercantilism (protectionism and accumulation of precious metals).

Forms of Government in the Old Regime

Monarchy underwent several phases:

• Authoritarian Monarchy (15th-16th Centuries): Monarchs did not possess absolute power; nobles, the Church, and parliaments retained considerable autonomy. Example: The Catholic Monarchs of Spain.
• Absolute Monarchy: Kings held all power (political, economic, etc.). The most prominent example is Louis XIV (the "Sun King").
• Enlightened Despotism (18th Century): Influenced by Enlightenment ideas. Rulers aimed to govern for the people's benefit, but without their direct participation ("Everything for the people, but without the people"). Example: Charles III of Spain.
• Parliamentary Monarchy: Emerged in England and, later, France (17th century onwards). Featured separation of powers and the submission of the king to parliament.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was a major intellectual movement that swept across Europe, influencing both Enlightened Despotism and the French Revolution. Key features included:

• Rationalism.
• Tolerance.
• Interest in science.
• Emphasis on education.
• Critique of popular superstitions.

Key Enlightenment Thinkers

• Montesquieu: In *The Spirit of the Laws*, advocated for the separation of state powers into executive (king and government), legislative (parliament), and judicial (judges).
• Rousseau: In *The Social Contract*, argued for national sovereignty, asserting that power resides in the people and that rulers must fulfill the general will.
• Voltaire: Championed freedom of expression and religious freedom.
• Beccaria: Advocated for the presumption of innocence, proportionality of punishment, abolition of torture and the death penalty, and *habeas corpus* (the right to appear before a court).