Old Regime & Enlightenment: Europe (15th-18th Centuries)

Unit 1: The Old Regime and the Enlightenment

The Old Regime

Old Regime was the name given by French revolutionaries to the era before the 1789 revolution. Later, historians used this term to describe the political, economic, and social characteristics of Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Enlightened Despotism

In the second half of the 18th century, some kings tried to reconcile absolutism with the progressive ideas of the Enlightenment. Thus emerged Enlightened Despotism, a form of government outlined in the principle "all for the people, but without the people." In it, the monarch continued to concentrate all powers, but was considered the first servant of the state, carrying out certain reforms to achieve progress and happiness of his subjects. Enlightened Despotism was imposed in many states, like France under Louis XV, Spain with Carlos III, Portugal with Jose I, Russia with Catherine II, and Austria and Prussia with Joseph II and Frederick II. These monarchs conducted various reforms in their countries.

Key Questions & Concepts

Characteristics of Stratified Society

The Old Regime was a stratified society characterized by inequality before the law. It was divided into two groups or estates, determined by birth: the privileged and the underprivileged.

• The privileged classes: Nobility and clergy.
• The non-privileged estates or Third Estate: Bourgeoisie, artisans, peasants, and marginalized groups.

Criticisms of Absolutism

• Voltaire: A great admirer of English institutions, he favored a limited monarchy that would respect the freedoms of the citizenry.
• Montesquieu: Argued for the separation of the three branches of government: the legislature (to make laws), the executive (to govern and enforce laws), and the judiciary (to administer justice).
• Rousseau: Stated that sovereignty, or supreme power, resides in the nation or group of citizens. These citizens delegate their power to rulers, whose performance should be guided by the general will of the citizenry and should aim to develop good and equal laws for all.

New Economic Policies

Since the mid-18th century, mercantilism was displaced by new economic policies, such as physiocracy and economic liberalism.

• Physiocracy: Advocated by François Quesnay, it stated that the main source of wealth of a country was the land, as it allowed for food and provided items for industrial processing and trade. In addition, it opposed the control of the economy by the state or by any regulations, and defended economic freedom.
• Economic Liberalism: Espoused by Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations (1776), it stated that the main source of a nation's wealth is the work of its inhabitants. These are driven by personal interest and must conduct their business freely without state intervention, as this is regulated only by the "invisible hand" of the market that sets prices based on supply and demand for the common good.