17th and 18th centuries

How did Europeans’ views of the role of the individual in society begin to change in the 17th and 18th centuries?

 
Please put footnotes to cite your sources. I will also be providing you an outline as well as a the prompt to follow if you accept. Also make a work cited page and use only the textbook sources I upload and give you as well as some primary sources i will also provide.
okay its joshua cole and carol symes Western civilizations (2020)
Answer

How the Europeans’ Views of the Role of the Individual in Society Begun to Change
in the 17 TH and 18 th Centuries
Absolutism in France emerged in the early 16 th century, but in the 17 th century, it was
fully practised. 1 . It involves the use of monarch with powers which do not apply any written laws
or legislation. There were various consequences of the French monarch, whereby all the author
was vested in the king with no questioning. Absolutism led to a measurable reduction of the
France authority in Europe, leading the rise of other strong empires that conquered controlled
Europe. Also, monarch led to the creation of the United States, which posed the stability and
influence of France. This type of ruling weakened France and its ability in acquiring and ruling
weaker countries. While France used absolutism, England used constitutionalism in its mandate
whereby the authority of the government was derived from fundamental laws and the powers of
the government are limited. 2 . One of the significant critics of conditionalism is that it is
undemocratic since it may limit the freedom of an ordinary citizen. Both the citizens were held
accountable for their activities by the fundamental laws. It led to more responsible by the
government to all the citizens, and there was no breaking of the law.
The philosophies of the Europeans in the 17 th and 18 th centuries tackled the rights and
religion. Voltaire was one of the known writers who questioned orthodoxy about religion. He
was able to describe the early Christianity life propagandistic relating to the history of the early
church. The opinion of the bible was mixed since he was sceptical of the bible interpretation.
However, he appreciates the self-sacrifice of Christians in their working. 3 . Voltaire advocated for
1 Beik, William. Absolutism and society in seventeenth-century France: state power and provincial aristocracy in
Languedoc. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
2 Vile, Maurice John Crawley. Constitutionalism and the Separation of Powers. Liberty Fund, 2012.

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the political liberty of the people. He wrote books enlighting citizens on the importance of
political liberty. Montesquieu was among the first people to expound on the classification of
political forms used by governments. In every government, there is the executive on matters of
the national law, executive on the matters of the civil laws and also the legislative function. He
urges that each power should work with its function since there are two powers vested in one
body then the liberty is limited. He advocated for individual growth of the people in a conducive
political state which leads to common goodwill of the country. 4 . Despotism by the government
without being checked by the stipulated laws creates fear among the citizens.
The political landscape of France after revolution changed whereby it put an end on the
monarch and feudalism. The power was taken from the Catholic Church, allowing new ideas and
liberty and freedom of the citizens. 5 . There was the holding of government positions by the
people who merited. Slave trade was widespread in the French colonies. After the revolution,
there was the abolishment of the slave trade and the slaves were involved in the government
activities since they had gained freedom. There were for liberty and equality of the citizens since
the government allowed selection of the people on merit 6 . When the power was taken from the
Catholic Church, there was more enlightened about religion and the freedom that came with it

3 Davidson, Ian. Voltaire. Simon and Schuster, 2012
4 Lowenthal, David. "Montesquieu and the Classics: Republican Government in the Spirit of the Laws." In Charles-
Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, pp. 187-216. Routledge, 2017.
5 Getachew, Adom. "Universalism after the post-colonial turn: Interpreting the Haitian revolution." Political
Theory 44, no. 6 (2016): 821-845.

6 Asal, Sonja. "The Contemporaneity of ‘Counter-Enlightenment’. From the French Revolution to German Post-War
Sociology." International Journal for History, Culture and Modernity 7, no. 1 (2019): 940-970

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since the church was no longer viewed as the only principle of faith. There were more religious
tolerations in the country where there were petitions about the Jews.

Bibliography

Asal, Sonja. "The Contemporaneity of ‘Counter-Enlightenment’. From the French Revolution to
German Post-War Sociology." International Journal for History, Culture and
Modernity 7, no. 1 (2019): 940-970.

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Beik, William. Absolutism and society in seventeenth-century France: state power and
provincial aristocracy in Languedoc. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Davidson, Ian. Voltaire. Simon and Schuster, 2012.
Getachew, Adom. "Universalism after the post-colonial turn: Interpreting the Haitian
revolution." Political Theory 44, no. 6 (2016): 821-845.
Lowenthal, David. "Montesquieu and the Classics: Republican Government in the Spirit of the
Laws." In Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, pp. 187-216. Routledge,
2017.
Vile, Maurice John Crawley. Constitutionalism and the Separation of Powers. Liberty Fund,
2012.