The Influence of Rousseaus Ideas on the French Revolution - Term Paper Example

? Discuss the influence of Rousseau’s ideas on the French Revolution The profound impact of philosophical dissertations and discourses on the development of sociopolitical ideas during the period of the French Revolution has always been a source of critical reflection for authors and scholars who have embarked upon the journey of expounding upon the political and social motivations that led to the emergence of such a vivid period in the history of mankind. As understood by Peyre (1949, p. 63) the foundations of the French Revolution are marked by the constant presence of such names as Diderot, Voltaire and Rousseau. Even though the ramifications of Rousseau’s philosophy are evident in the outcomes and evaluations of scholarly texts, for McNeil (1945, p. 197) these conclusions present only generalized, vague and incoherent findings that do not fulfill the objective of truly exploring the nuances of Rousseau’s philosophical ideology and how it directed the course of the French Revolution. However, the aforementioned statement requires the establishment of a distinction between the term ‘influence’ and ‘cult’ in which case the latter essentially provides a new dimension to the understanding of Rousseau’s influence on the French Revolution by introducing the notion of the philosopher’s contemporaries and how his discourses ultimately molded their thoughts (McNeil 1945, p. 197). According to McNeil (1945, p.197) the magnitude of the philosopher’s impact in transforming the course of eighteenth-century ideologies can be discerned once his literary and political contributions are recognized separately. This approach has also been favored by Mehlman (1977; p. 2) in assessing the foundations of the revolution as he has dedicated a section in his scholarly work the power of the history and literature in order to uncover the profound impact that the writings of individuals such as Marx had on changing the course of mankind. For Church (1973) the value of Rousseau’s works and the role they played in advancing ideologies during the revolution is discernible by the description of the Age of Enlightenment that France experienced. For McNeil (1945) however, the adoption of this concept essentially implies that Rousseau’s political advancement was fundamentally aided by the creation of his literary discourses, henceforth; a comprehensive understanding of the influence of Rousseau’s ideas on the French Revolution can only be achieved once his individual contributions are highlighted and examined. While, the association between the philosopher’s literary works and political ideology has been acknowledged by many, a fundamental question which is still characterized by uncertainty inquires whether Rousseau’s writings in the Social Contract actually led to the Revolution. Furet and Ozouf (1989, p. 841) answer that it was in fact the events of the Revolution which embodied the tenets of the Social Contract thereby, allowing the development of events during that period in history to provide an elucidation of what Rousseau originally aimed to present through his text. This argument plays a key role in the development of this analysis as it fundamentally establishes a link between Rousseau’s Social Contract and the French Revolution, which arguably is his greatest influence on the epoch. The foremost clause of this argument states that: “Rousseau’s work provided the historical actors with an instrument that enabled them to name the new realities with which history confronted them and then to ponder the things they had named” (Furet and Ozouf 1989, p. 841). This statement coincides with other observations which postulate that the progression of the movement was led by individuals who were most inspired by Rousseau’s thoughts. For instance, Jacobin leaders did not display the audacity of mending the philosopher’s ideologies as they opted to integrate Rousseau’s political discourses in their behavior, actions and conduct (Strong 2002, p. 142). Despite, of these understandings the profound influence of Rousseau’s political philosophy or cult has been negated by authors such as Edmund Burke who emphasize upon the disciples of Rousseau in his book titled the Reflections of the Revolution in France (Qvortrup 2003, p. 42). According to Furet (1981, p. 30) at the crux of French thoughts and ideologies lies the understanding and a vision which hopes to attain the ultimate harmonization between interest and matters that are of significance, this thought even views disagreements, variances and conflicts as a source of advantage which shall promote the attainment of positivity that is shared by each and every member of society. Furet (1981, p. 30) continues to suggest that these observations even provide the basis of a laissez-faire economic system that is championed by renowned physiocrats, namely Turgot and Quesnay (McPhee 2002). The primary questions which arise as a consequence of this inquire about the foundations, on which society is formed, as Furet (1981, p. 30) argues that if the notions of power and law are entirely dependent upon the approval of the individual then what are the implications of the concept of society? Furthermore, what is the association of an individual who has been granted with free will with regards to the estrangement of individual independence in a nation? Once Furet (1981, p. 30) addresses the dilemmas of French society, the reflections of the scholar are directed towards the examination of Rousseau’s theoretical ideologies which were advanced in texts such as the Social Contract. This concept is that of the general will which lies at the crux of the philosopher’s political ideology. Strong (2002, p. 82) states that the notion of general will essentially encompasses the commonality of mankind, whereby, the belief of man which encourages the attainment of common good highlights the will that is held by all. The principles that the fundamental of general will advances are observable in the formation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man which stipulates that the law of the state must reflect the general will, as each and every citizen of the state holds an equal right in contributing towards its establishment through direct or indirect representation (Stewart 1951). It could be stated that the underlying principles which have been followed in the Declaration of Rights of Man are reflective of Rousseau’s ideologies, thoughts and perspectives; an example of this is the first tenet which establishes the equality of men before proceeding onto the principles of sovereignty, liberty, freedom and the security of rights (Stewart 1951). The formulation of the document is indicative of the extensive applicability of the philosopher’s perspectives for the promotion of common good through an understanding of the individual will and general will. The significance of Rousseau’s contribution in this regard is that his perspectives were believed to hold value in the eyes of his followers who realized that employing Rousseau’s recommendations would ultimately lead to the achievement of the objectives behind their struggle. Even though, the extent of the influence of Rousseau’s ideas on the French Revolution is extensively debated by scholars, his contributions towards the establishment of a democratic state cannot be denied. The immense importance of Rousseau’s political ideologies in history is evident from the fact that even the progression of American republicanism and race has been attributed to French principles of democracy which evolved during the French Revolution (Herman 2007, p. 1). Furet and Ozouf (1989, p. 832) argue that political advancement during the French Revolution lies in the practice of direct democracy, an analysis of which can uncover the degree to which Rousseau was able to transform the sociopolitical scenario at the time of the French Revolution. Furet and Ozouf (1989, p. 832) note that revolutionaries of the epoch demanded an authorization of laws that were proposed by people, by the people as the stipulations of Rousseau’s Social Contract deemed any unauthorized law to be unacceptable and invalid in the eyes of the people. Furet (1981, p. 31) understands that Rousseau’s ideologies therefore, allowed individuals to seek fulfillment through the system of politics through a revival of social and cultural consciences which provided the champions of the revolution with a platform to raise their opinions and advance their beliefs. As noted by Babbitt (1955, p. 135) there occurred a period during the French Revolution in which the ideologies of Rousseau became marked by the force of an epidemic, Furet (1981, p. 31) identifies this period as a time in which the revolutionaries assumed that they were executing the philosopher’s concepts just as he had developed them in some of his most influential texts. Consequently, the demands of revolutionary activists led to the establishment of a revolutionary constitution, the foundations of which were drawn from the stipulations of Rousseau’s political ideologies (Swenson 2000, p. 10). This notion essentially glorifies and commends the philosopher for holding the distinction of being the first individual who methodically incorporated the concepts of equality, sovereignty, independence and liberty of man which led Rousseau to be granted the title of the first founder of the constitution (Swenson 2000, p. 10). According to Furet (1981, p. 32) the progression of the philosopher’s perspective on equality and its integration within the wider scope of the French Revolution was drawn from a concept which views men as having equal rights with history playing a critical role in depriving mankind of the original state of equality. This belief essentially led the philosopher to establish two distinct alternatives that would have to be selected by man in order to abide by the recommendations of the Social Contract. The first of these conditions is that of political justice which essentially establishes an association between the will of man and the general will that will lead to the achievement of common good (Furet 1981, p. 32). The development of this discussion sheds light on the political struggle of the French Revolution which was headed by the philosopher’s description of direct democracy to advance the establishment of a system that favors political justice and legitimacy (Furet 1981, p. 48). The state of inequality which has been a consequence of historical developments poses a direct threat to the progress of freedom. Therefore, presence of inequality for Rousseau not only harms the man it also leads to the emergence of inner negativity which is brought by emotions of jealousy and resentment. Baker (1990, p. 235) that even though, revolutionary activists were keen on following the political commandments of the philosopher, his dismissal of political representation was a notion that did pose certain contradictions. Certainly, to provide a justification for this assertion, Rousseau had to present an ideology to significantly transform the perspectives of individuals before they could accept the proposed political revolution. For this purpose, Rousseau employed and ultimately internalized the concepts of equality and sovereignty within the society by recommending a reassignment of power from the monarchy to the people (Baker 1990, p. 236). The influence of Rousseau’s ideas on the French Revolution can be summarized by presenting one of his statements in which he asserted that “everything depended fundamentally on politics” (Hunt 2004, p. 1). This view singlehandedly defines the guidance and inspiration that Jacobin leaders followed during the epitome of the French Revolution. According to Hunt (2004, p. 1) the quest of revolutionaries during the period was motivated by uncertainty and the desire to uncover the answers to critical questions about the rights of man, the government and the notion of equality in the eyes of the state. The extent of Rousseau’s influence on the Jacobins has been a source of critical observation for many historians, this notion is seen in assessment of Dunn (1994) and Furet (1996) regarding the events leading up to the death of Louis XVI and how the Jacobin’s viewed it as a victory for the people because the elite rule in the country was seen as the primary factor which contributed towards inequality. The analysis of the impact and influence of Rousseau’s ideas on the French Revolution suggests that the philosopher’s role in during this period in history remains an area of interest of scholars because with his political ideology Rousseau was able to inspire revolutionary activists to embark upon a journey which not only shaped French history but also transformed modern history and sociopolitical revivals across the globe. Miller (1984, p. 2) understands that it is not plausible to make a definite comment regarding Rousseau’s role as the initiator of the French Revolution. However, examinations on the history of French Revolution postulate that what mankind experienced during the course of the epoch was a display of the philosopher’s perspectives, teachings and ideologies when applied within the context of social and political struggle. This struggle signifies a period of change that imparted the concepts of equality, sovereignty and general will to achieve a common good. Not only is the French Revolution remarked by historians as a period which displayed ultimate struggle, it is also an epoch which developed the notion of democracy by understanding and comprehending the grave and absolute inequalities that are inflicted by an elite rule on the citizens of a state. Conclusion Regardless of the observation which refutes the idea that the philosopher influenced the commencement of the revolution, Rousseau’s role in the progress of the French Revolution is viewed to be that of a spiritual guide who challenged the foundations of French society and thus emerged as the only individual who portrayed a level of advanced reasoning, understanding and comprehension in a century that was characterized by distrust and skepticism (Hunt 2004, p. 51). So it would not be wrong to say that one mind/ideology if given a stage can change the ideology of thousands, maybe a nation. One can change the society and progress towards a better environment with good living standards where everyone gets what is rightfully their and no one is deprived of justice. Whether he is a black, white, Asian or of any ethnicity, everyone is treated equally. Probably a future, all the human beings dream of and intend to live one day in a world similar what Rousseau and many other idealized and tried to build. Bibliography Babbitt, I., 1955. Rousseau and romanticism. N.Y.: Meridian Books. Baker, K. M., 1990. Inventing the French Revolution: essays on French political culture in the eighteenth century (Vol. 16). Cambridge University Press. Church, W. F., 1973. The influence of the enlightenment on the French Revolution. DC Heath & Company. Dunn, S., 1994. The deaths of Louis XVI: regicide and the French political imagination, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Furet, F., & Ozouf, M. (Eds.)., 1989. A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution. Harvard University Press. Furet, F., 1981. Interpreting the French Revolution; translated by Elborg Forster, Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Furet, F., 1996. The French Revolution, 1770-1814, Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Mass., USA: Blackwell. Herman, L. L., 2007. 1794: American Race, Republicanism and Transnational Revolution. ProQuest. Hunt, L. A., 2004. Politics, culture, and class in the French Revolution (Vol. 1). Univ of California Press. McNeil, G. H., 1945. The cult of Rousseau and the French Revolution. Journal of the History of Ideas, 6(2), 197-212. McPhee, P., 2002. The French Revolution, 1789-1799, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mehlman, J., 1977. Revolution and repetition: Marx/Hugo/Balzac, Berkeley: University of California Press. Miller, J. Rousseau: Dreamer of Democracy. Hackett Publishing. Peyre, H., 1949. The influence of eighteenth century ideas on the French Revolution. Journal of the History of Ideas, 10(1), 63-87. Qvortrup, M., 2003. The political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: the impossibility of reason. Manchester University Press. Stewart, J. H., 1951. A documentary survey of the French Revolution. Macmillan. Strong, T. B., 2002. Jean Jacques Rousseau: the politics of the ordinary (Vol. 6). Rowman & Littlefield. Swenson, J., 2000. On Jean-Jacques Rousseau: considered as one of the first authors of the Revolution. Stanford University Press. Read More