The French Revolution

The French Revolution was without a doubt one of the most influential events in modern history. The far-reaching effects of the outcome of the French Revolution are still evident in many aspects of life today. The French Revolution marked a turning point in the world. It was a time of enlightenment, albeit, violent enlightenment. The people of France had grown tired of the absolute monarchy that gave feudal privileges to the aristocracy. From 1789 to 1799 the French government underwent violent change marked by political executions and great turmoil. The revolution was fought on enlightenment principles, which included ideas of democracy, citizenship, and certain inalienable rights. Since I am a political science major, I couldn't read over this part of the text without drawing parallels to my readings in other classes. I immediately thought of how the political writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau must have helped to lay groundwork for the revolution, in The Basic Political Writings. I even wondered if the works of Hobbes and Locke from across the Channel might have ringed in the ears of the French Revolutionaries.

One thing that is for certain, is that the political turmoil of the time had a tremendous effect on the literature being created simultaneously. It sparked great passion in many writers on both sides of the Revolution. The bold reformation if French life led William Wordsworth to exclaim, "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive! (36). Not all writers of the time were so enthusiastic about the Revolution. Edmund Burke was actually against the Revolution and argued that we would benefit by maintaining the status quo. He uses the idea of inheritance to argue for keeping the current system of government in place. He claims that inheritance is natural and that since it is natural in the family, it should also be natural within the government. Burke argues in The Real Rights of Men that all men have equal rights but not to equal things. You have rights to your property, what you earn, and what you inherit. He does not favor the equal distribution of wealth. Burke thinks that anyone who seeks more than these rights allot are only being selfish. Burke was certainly passionate in his views about the French Revolution, but there were also equally passionate writers of the time that would argue for the other side. One such writer who seeked to refute Burke was Mary Wollstonecraft. She claims that Burke's ideas are ignorant and devote a blind love to the ways of the past despite the fact that ways of the past are not suitable for the present. She attacks his poetic rhetoric, claiming that he is only writing for effect and not so much to state facts. Thomas Paine is another writer of the time that attacks the ideas of Burke. He claims that each generation must make decisions for themselves and not based on what they think past generations would do. Paine claims, "it is power, and not principles, that Mr. Burke venerates" (68).

It is clear that the French Revolution sparked tremendous passions all sides of the argument. It is easy to say that those on the side of Wollstonecraft and Paine get the better of those on the side of Burke, since that is the side that prevailed in the end. It seems to be that way, that the victors are always the ones that get to write history and it usually puts them into a more favorable light than the losers; however, I think that Burke made some solid points and would be compared to the right wing conservatives of today. Again as a political science major, I find myself comparing Burke and his ideas to the political theories of Niccolo Machiavelli, who is personally one of my favorite political theorist. With that said, I must admit that I am glad the side that Pain and Wollstonecraft supported came out on top because the French Revolution helped to define modern democracy, the same modern democracy that I enjoy today.

*Side note- As I was reading this section I also was able to draw comparisons between the writers of this time and the artists of the time. I am also talking art appreciation this summer so the comparison was easy. One artist who was very much in favor of the Revolution was Jacques-Louis David. He painted The Death of Marat in 1793. Jean-Paul Marat was a major figure in the French Revolution who was responsible for having hundreds of people executed by guillotine. If anyone is interested they should check out some of the work of David.