EUROPEAN ABSOLUTISM
AND
THE ENLIGHTENMENT
1600-1763
The Connection
Humanist writers
study ancient
Greek and Roman
manuscripts
Gutenberg’s
printing press
rapidly spreads
Protestant ideas,
weakening the
Church’s control
The Scientific
Revolution
develops a
systematic
method to
explain the
universe
Ren. artists’ use of
perspective leads to
better observation of
the real world
Luther’s desire to
reveal the truth
about the Bible
leads to a split in
the Catholic Church
Enlightenment
thinkers apply
science and
reason to
explain human
nature
Northern Ren.
focuses more on
Christianity and
education
American
patriots use
Enlightenment
philosophy to
justify a
revolution
The Connection
Spain, France, and
England develop
nation-states over
time by kicking
out minorities and
consolidating land
Tudor monarchs
in England rule
absolutely, but
the power of
parliament
begins to rise
The Glorious
Revolution
leads to the
further
weakening of
the monarchy
The Treaty of
Westphalia after
the Thirty Years’
War establishes
the notion of
sovereignty in law
New nation-states,
such as Austria,
evolve within
existing states (e.g.
The Holy Roman
Empire – itself a
failed nation-state)
Enlightenment
writers stress
individual rights
and defend the
idea of
revolution
The Sun King
develops an
absolute
monarchy copied
by the European
nobility
Colonial selfgovernment
and capitalism
leads to an
American
Revolution
The Nation-State
ETHNICITY
• Ethnic Identity
CITIZENSHIP
• Civic Identity
• England, Spain, & France =
nation-states
• Russia, Italy, & the Holy Roman
Empire = multi-national states
• America – a rising nation-state
(the concepts of nationalism &
sovereignty were bringing the
colonists closer together)
Europe After the Peace of Westphalia
European Exploration and Colonization
Diffused the Nation-State Worldwide
Age of Absolutism 1589-1715
• Definition: comes from the traditional transfer of
power to heirs to the throne AND the belief in
“divine right of kings”.
• Characteristics:
–
–
–
–
–
Sovereignty rest in the person of the king/queen
Absolute monarchs more powerful than assemblies
Nobles are controlled by ruler
Control over the Roman Catholic Church
Had large standing armies
French Absolutism
A) Henry IV (15891610) Bourbon Dynasty
Wars of Religion –
Huguenots (Fr. Protestants)
vs. Catholics
“Paris is worth a mass”
Edict of Nantes (1598) –
freedom of religion; fortify
cities
Brings back traditional
Estates: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
Louis XII (1610-1643)
Cardinal Richelieu a
politique who
weakened…
Huguenots – no
fortified cities (maintain
religious freedom)
Nobles – destroyed
fortified castles &
armies; reduced power
Responsible for
constructing foundation
for an absolute
monarchy.
The Sun King
Louis XIV: The Sun King (16431715)
Divine right of kings
(ordained by God); “L’etat
c’est moi” (“I am the state”)
 Absolute rule (no opposition)
 Moves court, gov’t, & key nobles
to Versailles (elaborate prison) –
must serve king to advance in
power
 Centralization of power
Construction of Versailles
The French Nation-State
)
–Culture - revokes Edict of Nantes;
hurts France (loss of revenues,
workers, 200,000 Huguenots)
–Military - creates the grandest
army in Europe; fights several
wars (drains economy)
–Economy - mercantilism; protects
industries (subsidies, high tariffs,
colonies)
Legacy of the Sun King
–Culture – France becomes
strongest & most influential state;
other monarchs duplicate French
ways
–Military – other states ally against
France to create a balance of power
–Economy – in shambles; expensive
court, Versailles & wars drain
money (debt haunts successors)
The Enlightenment
The Age of Reason (~1600-1800)
–Scientific Revolution – reason
used to discover physical laws;
leads to…
–Rationalism – reason used to
discover natural laws (human
nature)
Thomas Hobbes –
– Leviathan (1651)
• People lived in
anarchy; “state of
nature”; “brutish” &
dangerous
• Unwritten “social
contract”
w/ absolute ruler (to
maintain stability)
• Retain only the right
to life
Leviathan
–John Locke – Two Treatises of
Government (1690)
• 1) “Social contract;” retain rights
to life … liberty & property;
rulers must preserve rights
• 2) If “natural laws” are broken,
people have right to
revolt; overthrow ruler
• 3) Justification for the
“Glorious Revolution”
of England (mid 1600s)
Age of Enlightenment (~1700-1800)
–Philosophes (“lovers of wisdom”) use
science and reason to improve society
–Denis Diderot - edits Encyclopedia
(mid 1700s; 28 volumes)
• Philosophes contribute articles; criticize
church, gov’t, taxes, slave trade, … society
should benefit ALL
• Monarchies & Church attempt to
suppress ideas … but Enlightenment
thoughts diffuse (e.g., salons, writings)
• Madame Geoffrin & de Pompadour
Denis Diderot
–Baron de Montesquieu
• a) The Spirit of the Laws (1748);
analyzes world gov’ts
• b) England - power divided
“equally” among 3 branches;
executive, legislative, & judicial
(misunderstood – exec.
& leg. largely combined
in House of Commons)
• c) Checks and balances nearly perfect gov’t
–Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet)
• Wrote against intolerance &
injustice
• Targeted corrupt officials, slave
trade, religious intolerance,…
• Imprisoned (Bastille) & exiled
• Freedom of speech –
“I may disapprove of
what you say, but I will
defend to the death
your right to say it”
–Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• The Social Contract (1762); tabula rasa
(“clean slate”)
• Society corrupts; unequal distribution
of property; too many limitations
• Naturally “good” state preserved only
by a gov’t the people choose
& control (pop. sovereignty)
• “General will” - individual
should be subordinate to
the community (different
from other philosophes)
The American Nation
A) Clash of the Titans
– Seven Years War (1756-1763) - France &
England aim to control America
–Other European powers involved (e.g.,
Prussia vs. Austria)
–Treaty of Paris (1763) – Britain & allies
win; reduces French hold in America
–War united American colonists (fought
for common cause – defense)
– Adam Smith - physiocrat
• The Wealth of Nations (1776)
• Natural laws - Supply and Demand;
Competition (“Invisible Hand”)
• Scarcity - increases price
• Free Enterprise - based on supply,
demand, & competition
• Laissez-faire (“let-do”);
hands-off - no gov’t
intervention
Monarchy
Popular sovereignty
Strict gov’t control
Laissez faire,
private property
Monopolies
Competition
Tariffs & subsidies
Free trade
Acquisition of
gold & silver
Development of goods
through industries
Wealth = Goods
Goods = Limited
Most = Wins