Age of Revolution: Impact of Enlightenment and Napoleonic Rule in Europe

Running head: AGE OF REVOLUTION
AGE OF REVOLUTION
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1AGE OF REVOLUTION
European revolution was instigated by the revolutionary philosophers whose thought
gave birth to Napoleon Bonaparte. The enlightenment of Europe started with the
enlightenment scientists and the thinkers who brought revolution in the fields of art, science,
religion and the form of government. The mid 1500s was the time, when the world started to
change its perspective. The theocentricism changed into anthropocentricism where the man
was in the center of everything1. The scientists questioned the accepted beliefs traditional by
the religious figures as well as forming new theories to prove their thoughts. This paper
discusses the influence of the enlightened scholars to change the ideology of Europe, the
process of creating stage for revolutions and concludes with the impact of Napoleonic rule in
the history of Europe.
Were the renaissance philosophers activists or inspired major Europeans to
transform the society in terms of knowledge and governance?
The scholars opened new ways in astronomy, mathematics and science which were
purely observation and enquiry based. The scientists like Copernicus, Galileo and Newton
introduced their theories which changed the life of the Europeans for eternity. Despite the
fact these scientists were capable to provide evidences and made new discoveries, they had to
face the rage of the Church because all of their discoveries and inventions were the against
the conventional outlook and beliefs of Christianity. However, this oppression of church on
the revolutionary thinkers could not stop the scientists to explore and popularize their
theories. Hence, they developed various scientific instruments some of which were made for
better observations and new discoveries. Changes took place in the medical science and
anatomy which was once prohibited by the Church. The discoveries in chemistry and physics
paved the way for industrial revolution in Europe.
1 Rothenberg, Gunther E. "The origins, causes, and extension of the wars of the French Revolution and
Napoleon." Warfare in Europe 1792 1815. Routledge, 2017. 47-69.

2AGE OF REVOLUTION
The enlightenment in Europe on the other hand changed the process of governance
and law through various political ideologies. The idea of government changed as the theorists
like John Locke and Hobbes supported the view of political right possessed by the common
people of the country. The concept of power shift from the King to the citizens was the
milestone that later created scope for the French and American revolution2. The philosophers
like Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau were the pioneers whose thoughts ignited the
political situation of France. The old regime in France supported for three social classes.
These thoughts changed the way of governance first in France and then in the whole Europe
thus abolished the concept of monarchy placing power in the hands of the common people.
The enlightenment ideas of these French and Italian philosophers inspired the third
estate because it consisted with the most exploited class who had the least privileges but paid
heavy taxes. This change in the political system, interested them more in bringing the long
desired change. Beside these, the country was under tremendous economic pressure. The
weak leadership of king Louis XVI with his poor decision, disturbed the administrative
hierarchy greatly3. These however created the situation for setting up of national assembly by
the third estate. As the king decided to suppress this assembly, the mob attacked Bastille and
initiated the French revolution. The judicial, administrative and legislative system of
governance changed completely and the perspective towards the women changed4. The
enlightened thinkers changed the traditional perspectives regarding the role of women in the
society for which the women got the scope for education and took art in the politics of the
2 Goodwin, Albert. The friends of liberty: the English democratic movement in the age of the French
Revolution. Routledge, 2016.
3 Tackett, Timothy. Religion, revolution, and regional culture in eighteenth-century France: the ecclesiastical
oath of 1791. Princeton University Press, 2014.
4 Hadfield, Andrew, and Matthew Dimmock. "Introduction." Literature and Popular Culture in Early Modern
England. Routledge, 2016. 15-26.