The Rise of the Sovereignty of the Peoples of Europe and the Americas

In 1655, an adolescent Louis XIV famously remarked “L'état c'est moi,” meaning “I am the state.” This quote encapsulates the fundamental principles of absolutism. Absolutism is a form of government in which a sovereign holds unrestricted government power. Coming just after the Era of Exploration, the Age of Absolutism was an effort by monarchs to consolidate power in their newly expanded empires. Though France is viewed as the pioneer of absolutism, the idea quickly spread throughout Europe. The major power shift occurring across Europe raises the question: how much of an effect did absolutism have on everyday life in the 18th century? Absolutism had a large effect on everyday life in the 18th century. The disempowerment of the

From 1450 to 1750 C.E., the Europeans were beginning to settle in the Western part of Europe in places such as: France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and many more. Like many other of the surrounding countries and empires, the Europeans began to question many of the hierarchies in Europe at the time such as the Catholic Church by asking “Should we trust their process or attempt to reform?” or even “Should we ignore the intentions of the church and start something completely new that we believe is better for the people?” The development of both the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment began to answer these questions and enforce their beliefs in European society. Through the inspiration of the “needed” change of tradition in European society the Protestant Reformation sought to bring back the early versions of Christianity, while the Age of Enlightenment sought to abandon Christianity and move forward. But both the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment sought to focus on similar moral tenants such as the belief of individualism and the use of reason to analyze text. Overall, both the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment in Europe desired to move away from the selfish, incompetent, and lazy Catholic Church of that time, and either move forward or reform to stabilize European thinking for centuries to come.

The Europeans not only expanded their land and economy they were also expanding their minds with new ways of thinking such as “Enlightenment”. Major ideas of the actual 18th century "Enlightenment" had a lot to do with democratic ideals, a reduced influence of Christian Church doctrine in government, and overall "progress" of humankind. The Enlightenment was the product of a vast set of cultural and intellectual changes in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s changes that in turn produced the social values that permitted the Enlightenment to sweep through Europe in the late 1600s and 1700s. One of the most important of these changes was the

Humanism, exploration, and modern ideas of science all contributed to the beginning of the Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment, a time of perfecting society. In the 1600s and 1700s, some monarchs ruled as enlightened despots, which minorly influenced the society. Some philosophers wanted to make bigger chances as they began developing secular views, ultimately seeking democracy. When seeking this goal, they found the many flaws with society and government. As natural laws took shape in the 18th century, it revolutionized government and changed the nature of society.

For over 5,000 years of human civilization, there has always been a need for societal structure and stability. People developed governments in order to guarantee that structure and stability are present within the region. While there are various forms of government, some are more effective than others. Yet the effectiveness of that form of government is mostly dictated by the time period it is being used in. Even though democracy is widely regarded as the best form of government in the 21st century, the same cannot be said for the 17th and 18th centuries. The most effective form of government for the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe is absolutism because of the power of religious unity, the importance of fear, and the focus of the overall well-being of the state.

The beginning of eighteenth century brought about the Pre-classical era and a need for freedom from the restrictions of the nobility. The age of Enlightenment came into force questioning the Catholic Church’s doctrine and the authorities. It was the age of reason where secular thought predominated over religious belief. French philosophes and the Enlightenment dominated the cultural life of Europe. (Damerow par 1)

a. Thesis: Rise of absolutism came at the expense of the medieval church, absolutism laid the foundation for the modern-nation state.

The Enlightenment was a period of time spanning from approximately 1660 to 1789. It is defined by significant intellectual development and the emergence of revolutionary concepts and ideals which challenged the established standards of science, religion, philosophy, politics and general society. During this time, the Church progressively became disesteemed due to the application of reasoning and science to its ancient doctrines, in addition to its rejection of modern ideologies and scientific discoveries. The emergence of (then) radical/blasphemous belief systems and philosophies regarding the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the Church's abrogation of the research of scientists (such as Galileo) caused a predominately negative response amongst the population of Europe and America. Consequently, there was a large-scale 'falling out' between the population and the Church, resulting in the Church suffering a significant loss of power.

Colin Dielmann Professor Abdale American Government 5 May, 2015 The Enlightenment Shaped Today The Enlightenment is a philosophical movement of the 17th and 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine. Enlightenment thinkers were influences by philosophers such as Galileo and Newton. They used reason as the key to human progress.

During the eighteenth century, the absolutist principles of the previous century combined with the ideals of the Enlightenment, creating a new type of monarchy: enlightened absolutism. The absolutist rulers of the seventeenth century, such as Louis XIV, had total authority over their states. Many believed that they had received their power from God, a concept known as divine-right monarchy. The eighteenth century brought many changes through the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that influenced politics, economics, and religion. The great intellectuals of the Enlightenment – the philosophes – offered radical new ideas, such as Montesquieu’s political system of checks and balances to separate power; Voltaire’s religious tolerance and

In the course of the 18th century, an innovative mindset known as the Enlightenment spread throughout Europe. Followers and supports of this movement questioned the traditional social and political practices common of the time. Although the Enlightenment gained its momentum among the working class, it soon spread to the nobility of European states. Acceptance of Enlightenment rationalism and the adaption of such policies into political movements by rulers became known as enlightened absolutism. Former Russian historian and professor at Columbia University Marc Raeff claimed “The very contradiction inherent in the notion of enlightened absolutism doomed the effort to failure” (1221). The concept of royalty striving for what was best for those whom they ruled is certainly a puzzling factor but it did not doom the notion to failure. For rulers to alleviate personal power and submit it to his or her own subjects was an action that went against the traditional ways of life. The late 18th century ruler of Prussia, Frederick II is an exemplary ruler in regards to enlightened absolutism. FINISH!!

The Enlightenment was a time period in Europe, where many people, called Philosophes, used thought to try to get three things freedom, reform, and reason. Those people wanted to solve real world problems to make life better by questioning the government and the church, while also using science according with reason to back their claims. The Enlightenment was throughout Northern Europeans while being centered in France. It did occur as strongly in The Dutch Republic or in Great Britten but did not gain hold in Spain or Russia. These thinkers, many times had conflicts with the government and religious authority, often getting exiled or jailed, because they wrote against the government or

The Enlightenment period was an era during the 18th century in which cultural and intellectual forces in Western Europe emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism rather than traditional lines of authority. The Enlightenment was also characterized by a rational and scientific approach to religious, sociopolitical, and economic issues. However, I believe most enlightenment thinkers’ approach to these issues were more philosophical than scientific in nature thus inconsistently reflecting their scientific principles.

The Early Modern Western Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries. The objective of the Enlightenment was to create authoritative ethics, and knowledge based on an “enlightened” rationality. The leaders’ that were part of this movement were directing the world towards progress and out of a long period of irrationality, superstition, and tyranny; which began during a historical period called the Dark Ages. Therefore, it provided a framework for the American and French Revolutions, as well as the rise of capitalism and the birth of socialism. Most of the ideas in the 18th century are common laws today; like freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the responsibilities of rulers to their people developed during this time. As well as a huge increase in scientific inquiry.

Enlightenment philosophers, like Voltaire, railed against organized theocracies and argued that religion prevented rational inquiry while it endorsed repression, tyranny and war. The philosophy of Immanuel Kant, who sought, “liberation of the human mind from the dogmatic state of ignorance,” had a major impact on the future ideology of revolutionaries.4 It was Enlightenment ideas which challenged people to question religious orthodoxy and use their own intelligence to draw conclusions about the legitimacy of traditional authority. These philosophies were the foundation of modern, egalitarian, democratic societies which would later replace Louis XVI’s absolutist monarchy. Enlightenment ideals had profound effects upon the politics of the early and mid-nineteenth century. However, a severe backlash against rationalism and liberal ideologies in France caused the return of church-state power; while conversely, in the state of Prussia, Enlightenment ideals inspired a suppression of the church’s power.5 Whether or not Enlightenment ideals and values were able to root themselves permanently in society, the introduction and widespread acceptance of secular ideas created major changes across Europe.