Question

Explain the role of philosophers in French revolution.

Answer 1

The role of philosophers in the French revolution are as follows:)
(1) During 18 th century , France had many revolutionary thinkers.Among them were Voltaire , Rousseau , Montesquieu and Dederot .Their revolutionary ideas helped the people to fight for their rights .
(2) They exposed the inefficiency of the monarch and and his government.
(3)Voltaire's ideas encouraged people to fight against the privileges and finance of the Church without guilt.
(4) John Locke propounded the ideas refuting divinity and absolute rights of monarch.
(5) Montesquieu believed that all the powers should not be concentrated in one person's hand.
(6)Rousseau asserted the doctrine of democracy and popular sovereignty. He believed that the government should be based on the consent if the governed .He wrote a book known as " Social Contract" .
(7) Thus the ideas of the philosophers were a direct attack on privileges and feudal rights which protected the upper classes. They played a vital role in bringing about the revolution.

Answer 2

Answer-

• There were many French Philosophers and thinkers like Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and Mirabeau who exposed the evils prevailing in the system. They infused in people the idea of liberty, equality and fraternity

1. Charles Montesquieu (1689-1775) : A nobleman by birth, he became a lawyer and a judge. In his book, "The Spirit of Laws", he criticised autocracy and praised the democratic republic.

2. Francis Aronet Voltaire (1694-1778) : Voltaire was another outstanding philosopher of the Revolution. He wanted the people to think about their material life on earth and forget about heaven.

He condemned the church which supported the privileged class and ignore the poor.

3. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) : Rousseau is regarded as the architect of the French Revolution. He gave the slogan "Man was born free yet he is everywhere in chains". In the famous book, "The Social Contract" , he proved that the government was the result of a social contract between the people on the one hand and ruler on the other. So if the ruler did not fulfill the contract, the people had the right to withdraw their loyalty to him and bring down the tyranny of the ruler by revolting.

4. John Locke : John Locke was another great philosopher. In his book "Two Treatises of Government" he sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.

Thanks.