Class 21: Political Philosophy; French and American Revolutions

Ann T. Orlando

15 March 2006

My view and how it is different from Bokenkotter “In many ways the French Revolution was the

climax of the Enlightenment” p. 280 American system of government and liberal

American culture are the climax of the Enlightenment Most ‘Enlightened’ person was T. Jefferson

British in America: 17th C

Spain and Portugal had already laid claim to the best land in the Western Hemisphere in the 16th C Leaving England, Holland and France to scramble for less

desirable northern lands From Gonzales, The Story of Christianity, Vol 2,

p.218 (trying to balance Black Legend) Puritans no more tolerant than the Inquisition Spanish wanted Indians for their labor, so did not

exterminate them; British wanted the land and so did engage in a process of

extermination and containment (both before and after the Revolution)

British Colonies: 17th C

Virginia: Established 1607 by Virginia Company to develop agriculture; Church of England and Puritans

Carolinas: 1663, Established by aristocrats in England; needed to encourage settlers; John Locke wrote the Constitution

Georgia: Founded to stop the Spanish in Florida; Anglican; populated by debtors as alternative to jail

Maryland: Granted to Lord Baltimore by Charles I in 1632 as a way to find support among Catholics in England

Pennsylvania: William Penn and Quakers New Jersey: Puritan New York: First Dutch, Reformed, then Anglican New England: Settled by Pilgrims for expressly religious, rather than

economic, purposes; refuge from Charles I Congregationalism an outgrowth of Puritan (John Cotton 1584-1662) Harvard College 1636; motto “Truth for Christ and the Church”

American Colonies: Early 18th C Great Awakening

Revival movement that started in Britain; quickly spread to America

Pietistic, Anabaptist origins Encouraged personal religious experiences (Jonathan Edwards) Baptism was a sign that one had had such an experience Movement embraced all 13 colonies Supporters of Movement: Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists

became largest denomination in US by end 18th and in 19th C Those opposed, Anglicans, Quakers, Congregationalists lost

membership

Philosophical Giant: John Locke Epistemology: how do we know?

Through our senses and more specifically our experiences At birth mind is a blank slate Simple ideas come from senses, mind builds more complex ideas from

simple ones But experience can be communal; does not have to be personal

Theology; deeply religious, believed that revelation was ‘real’ Above human reason (revelation) Contrary to reason According to reason

Political Science Man born with God-given rights of life, liberty and possessions (broadly

defined) Second Treatise on Government profoundly influential Letter on Toleration Strongly believed in natural law as basis for human laws: Carolina

Constitution

18th C French and American Political Philosophy Based upon John Locke

Puritan sermons in 18th C America frequently referred to “the great Mr. Locke”

Voltaire considered Locke one of the most important men of the previous generation

One of Jefferson’s three heroes (the other two being Bacon and Newton)

John Adams thought John Locke one of most important men who ever lived

Emphasize individual liberty and rights over duty to society

Importance of written Constitutions as contract between people and Government

American Revolution:New Political Structures American Revolution (1776-1781), based on

philosophy of John Locke (1632-1704) Champion of individual rights Religious toleration

Not clear (still isn’t) what is relation between religion and politics in America Most States had an official religion; see for instance John

Adams’ Constitution of Massachusetts; oldest written Constitution still in use

First Amendment to Constitution says only that Congress will not establish a religion;

Thomas Jefferson extends this to separation of Church and State (1802)

French Revolution (1789-1799):Extreme Enlightenment Impetus comes from group of 18th C French philosophers:

philosophes (Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Turgot, Condorcet)

Philosophes embraced John Locke and science; encouraged by American Revolution Franklin, Paine, Jefferson and Adams in France; Adams writes against Turgot and Condorcet and notion of progress

without sense of duty Jefferson supports them and the Terror

Enlightenment philosophy as a weapon against ‘throne and altar’ ‘Smile of Reason’ turns into glare of tyranny Individual rights and toleration get replaced by suspicion of ‘enemy

of people’ and a new ‘religion’; active persecution of Church Just before the Terror an important defector from Enlightenment:

Voltaire; but a defection to skepticism (we really can’t know anything) and disengagement from society

Conditions of the French Revolution Political division in France, three estates:

First Estate: Clergy; really upper clergy of Bishops and Abbots; special privileges based on rank

Second Estate: Nobility; also special privileges based on birth and position in society

Third Estate: Everyone else (c. 25M people, other two combined are less than 500,000)

Revolution sparked by economic crisis of 1789; France was bankrupt due to wars and over-reach by Louis XIV and Louis XV Increased taxes on third estate Rampant Inflation

Success of American Revolution

Liberal French Revolution Time Line Tennis court Oath June 20, 1789

Louis XVI could no longer rule by divine right Third Estate met as National Assembly First Estate (Church) votes with Third Estate

Bastille stormed, 14 July 1798, when Louis XVI tried to reassert his powers

Beginning of cahiers (petitions) to sell Church land and Ecclesial reforms Civil Constitution of Clergy, 1790

Pope Pius VI refused to allow clergy to accept Civil Constitution of the Clergy, 1791 Resulted in 2 Churches, those who took the oath and those

who did not

Radical French Revolution Time Line German princes (Prussians and Hussites) invade France to put

down rebellion (and also to reclaim lands from 30 Years War) Catholic ecclesial support for this

More radical elements in the Revolutionary movement take control, August 1792; explicitly dechristianizing: Deism takes over All clergy who did not take oath, deported or killed Goddess of Reason setup in Notre Dame Cathedral Christian calendar suppressed; 10 day week; months given new

names Robespierre advances cult of Supreme Being

King and Queen executed 1793; Robespierre executed 1794 By 1794 Revolution was burning itself out

End of Revolution: Napoleon

Napoleon invaded northern Italy in 1796 In 1797, Pius VI taken prisoner; dies on his way to

France Pope Pius VII elected in 1799; managed to

negotiate a truce with Napoleon Concordat of 1801

Why was (is) the Church so Traumatized by French Revolution Recall France as eldest daughter of Church

Pepin Short Charlemagne

In 17th and 18th C France most powerful Catholic country

The radical, violent rejection of revealed religion

Echoes of this still in Ecclesial writings

Adams and Jefferson

The real Enlightenment Revolution was the American Revolution Successful American Culture dominates most of the world

John Adams (1735-7/4/1826) Massachusetts, Puritan then Unitarian, Harvard; second

President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

Virginia, Episcopalian then deist/atheist, William and Mary; third president

Both wrote Declaration of Independence; close friends in France; bitter enemies over election of 1800; renew friendship in old age; both die on 50th anniversary of signing Declaration of Independence; 4 July 1826

American Election of 1800 Choice over:

Adams vs. Jefferson: Role of Religion in Society and American view of French Revolution

Category Adams Jefferson

Belief in God Yes; God active in men’s lives. Maybe; but even so, God not active in men’s lives.

Natural Law Basis of government. Natural rights more important. Human nature and reason Limited; prone to error Human nature and reason are

perfectible; humanity is always making progress.

Rule of majority Majority rule should be tempered by constitutional protections of minorities.

Majority should rule as directly as possible.

Role of constitution Fundamental bedrock of civil government that should be enduring; order in society is very important.

Should be rewritten every generation; an occasional revolution is a good thing.

Role of religion in civil society

Very important for moral leadership; all religions should be tolerated although the State may favor one. Fasts and Thanksgivings

Religion is detrimental to civil society; should be completely separated from politics. Neither Fasts nor Thanksgivings

Reading

1. Bokenkotter, Chapters 24 2. John Locke A Letter Concerning Toleration available at http://

etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-reldem?id=LocTole.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=all

3. John Locke Two Treatises of Government in Paul Hyland. The Enlightenment, A Sourcebook and Reader. London: Routledge, 2003. 153-

161. 4. Thomas Jefferson Letter to Danbury Baptist Association available at

http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html 5. John Adams. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Preamble and Part I Available at http://www.mass.gov/legis/const.htm 6. Civil Constitution of Clergy available at http://

history.hanover.edu/texts/civilcon.htm 7. St Just Republican Institute available at http://

history.hanover.edu/texts/stjust.html 8. Short Paper on Enlightenment