PHILOSOPHERS

ROLE OF PHILOSOPHERS IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
The philosophes (French for ‘philosophers’) were writers, intellectuals and scientists, whose ideas
of the Enlightenment played a major role in inspiring the French revolution of 1789 that brought an
end to the despotic rule and administrative anarchy, in addition the climax of inequality in France.
Under the influence of ideals of Renaissance, the Reformation and Scientific Revolution, these
writers and philosophers established knowledge and discoveries on the basis of reason and
observation. The popular coffee houses and saloons of Paris were the centres of intellectual
activities.
While they did not directly incite the revolution, their pens and pencils were their only weapons as
they sought to change the way people thought and questioned the legitimacy of the Ancien Régime.
They laid bare- inequality, exploitation, cruelty, religious intolerance, corrupt, absolute monarchy,
financial restrictions etc.
The philosophes communicated their ideas in letters, unpublished manuscripts, books, pamphlets,
brochures, and through writing novels, poetry, drama, literary and Art criticism, and political
philosophy, satire, humour, and scientific explanation. French philosopher Descartes gave his
“Rationalistic Approach to thought”, Sir Isaac Newton, held that Mankind discovers knowledge
through “observation, analysis, and experiment”, similarly, John Locke’s “empirical based political
theory” paved the way for the Enlightened ideas in the 18 th century. These ideas were further
developed in the works-Montesquieu’s The Spirit of Laws (1748)‟, Condillac‟s Origin the
Consciousness of Humanism (1746), the Encyclopedia of Diderot (1751), Voltaire‟s Dictionary of
Philosophy (1746) and Rousseau’s Social Contract and Emile (1762). Other imp figures included
the mathematician and political scientist Nicolas de Condorcet, religious critic Nicolas Boulanger
and atheist writer Jacques-Andre Naigeon.
Voltaire ridiculed the divine right of kings, superstition, and clerical power in works like "Candide"
and "Letters on the English". Voltaire’s slogan, “Écrasez l’infâme!” ("Crush the infamous thing!"),
was a call to fight religious intolerance by Church. In “An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding” (1690), Locke Postulated that each individual is a tabula rasa, or blank slate, at birth
and rejected the idea that humanity is stained by original sin, a view held by the Catholic Church.
Rousseau, in his famous statement, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains,” announced
that sovereign power lay in popular will. The philosophes argued for natural rights—life, liberty,
and property—which became key tenets of revolutionary ideologies.
There is considerable disagreement among historians regarding the philosophers contributed in the
French Revolution. Argument in favour of acknowledging the contribution of philosophers in the
French Revolution includes — Tein, Rustan, Setebria, Takvil, Madela, Rude, Holland Rage, Barnev,
etc. Regarding the influence of philosophers, Tein says: "France drank the poison of philosophy".
They argued that the philosophers judged the state and society of that time on the basis of
rationalism and inspired the revolution in the minds of the people by promoting education, liberal
doctrine and justice.
Scholars points out that despite the dictatorial regimes and social inequalities in various countries of
contemporary Europe, especially Austria and Russia, the revolution did not take place there, but in
France the philosophers held great contribution. Scholars also argue that many revolutionary leaders
were directly influenced by Enlightenment thought. For instance, Maximilien Robespierre, though a
radical in practice, was deeply inspired by Rousseau’s ideas about virtue and the general will. These
ideas influenced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), one of the
foundational documents of the French Revolution.
However, some scholars argue that the Philosophers did not seem to have any influence on the
French Revolution. They argued that though the Philosophers have criticized the old system by their
writings but have not directly called for revolution or participated in the revolution. It was not the
philosophers, but society, the state, the economic system that set the stage for the French
Revolution. Some also argue that the philosophers did not share the same ideological angle.
Rousseau's ideology was republic and equality, Montesquieu's ideology was constitutional
monarchy, Voltaire's enlightened dictatorship, physiocrats' opposition to the state in the economic
sphere. In the context of the C. J. Hazen says that "The revolution was not caused by the
philosophers, but by the conditions and evils of national life".
Conclusion: -
Although there is disagreement about the contribution of philosophers to the French Revolution, it is
true that it was the philosophers who helped shape the mental preparation of the French for the
Revolution. While the revolution itself took many different turns, the core values it espoused were
rooted in the Enlightenment's critique of monarchy, aristocratic privilege, and religious authority.

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ROLE OF PHILOSOPHERS IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

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