What Role Did Montesquieu Play In The Spark Of The French Revolution

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Originally France was divided into three estates and a person’s estate effected their legal rights and what taxes they paid. The third estate included everyone who wasn’t a part of the clergy or nobility, from wealthy lawyers to laborers and to peasants. The enlightenment themes also had a role to play in the spark of the revolution. Almost anyone in the second or third estate could find an enlightenment thinker whose ideas they supported. The noble lawyers supported Montesquieu’s doctrine of checks and balances to back their argument that parliaments could keep an eye on the deposition of the king’s government. These people presented themselves as “defenders of the nation threatened by the king and its ministers”. Because of France’s involvement
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and property Gov’t designed to protect natural rights – Right of Revolution if fails to do so Power comes from the consent of the people Rousseau (The Social Contract) – Civilization corrupted natural goodness, born free and equal, no nobility Best gov’t: direct democracy – freely formed by people Give up some freedom for common good (utilitarianism) Social contract: agreement between free individuals and gov’t Montesquieu (On the Spirit of Laws) – Separation of powers based on British gov’t…

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