Write in detail about the contribution of the various thinkers to the French
Revolution?
Answers
Answer:
Thinkers influenced the French revolution because they were educated and proposed ideas of equality, fraternity, and liberty. The middle class who were educated were enlightened by these thinkers and thus spread the ideas of republic to other societies
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.