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The Enlightenment And The French Revolution

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The French Revolution was an uprising in France initiated by the Third Estate against the monarchy, which resulted in the establishment of France as a republic. Even though there were various causes to the French Revolution, there are events dating back centuries before the start of the Revolution, such as the publication of the 95 Theses, that can be seen as a preface to the Revolution. As time went on, more events acted as precursors. The French Revolution occurred as an effect of the work of Martin Luther, the creation of Absolutism, and the Enlightenment.
While the dominance of the Roman Catholic Church remained unchallenged for almost 500 years, a German Priest, Martin Luther tried to stop the Church from interacting in practices which …show more content…

The Enlightenment was the “intellectual and cultural movement of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that introduced a new worldview based on the use of reason, the scientific method, and progress” (5, Reading Paris 11). The Enlightenment transformed the monarchy by bringing in the new concept of the Republic. The introduction of the Republic was a big deal for that time. Even though philosophers of the Enlightenment disagreed with specific institutions of the Old Regime, they were not against the regime completely, so they did not consider themselves to be revolutionaries. The Enlightenment influenced the religion and church as well. Philosophers of the time began to question the dogma of the Catholic Church, which considered life on Earth to be a simple passage towards eternal life. Philosophers contested the teaching of priests and Church traditions. Although the idea that one God existed and was the creator of the universe existed, the idea that God’s intervention in the history of humanity was declined. (Reading Paris …show more content…

In the Declaration on the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, there are different articles which were created by the National Assembly of the representatives of the French people, which state “the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of man” (46, Reading Paris 17). In the Declaration, there are specific articles that apply to Martin Luther’s ideas, the creation of Absolutism, and beliefs of the Enlightenment. For instance, Article X which states, “No one may be disturbed for his opinions, even religious ones, provided that their manifestation does not trouble the public order established by the law” (47, Reading Paris 17), applies to Martin Luther’s beliefs. Martin Luther had contrasting opinions about the Roman Catholic Church, and in the Declaration on the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, it protects his opinions and beliefs, as long as expressing them does not go against the law. Secondly, Article VI sheds light against the principles of Absolutism. It states, “The law is the expression of the general will. All the citizens have the right of contributing personally or through their representatives to its formation…All the citizens, being equal in its eyes, are equally admissible to all public dignities, places and employments…” (46, Reading Paris 17). In Absolutism, all the power is held by

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