The Philosophes were a group of eighteenth century French Enlightenment thinkers who believed in three central ideas: progress, Deism, and tolerance. The Philosophes focused on progress; they wished to understand the world around them and overcome social injustices. Deism, making sure religion is reasonable and acknowledging the fact that science and nature are completely different things, was also another idea favored during the Philosophe movement. The final focus of the Philosophes was tolerance towards all religious groups. Many great works of the Philosophes, including Rousseau’s Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences, Baron deMontesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws, and Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie, are considered to be some of the greatest achievements of the century (Porter, 56-57).
The basic principles of the Philosophes were to approach situations with reason and logic rather than mere superstition. The movement was inspired by the philosophic views of Rene Descartes (“Philosophe”). The group included Voltaire, Baron de Montesquieu, Denis Diderot, Jean Le Rond D’Alembert, and Jean-Jacques Rosseau, as well as many others. The views of the different Philosophes varied greatly, but they all believed that progress was the key to the future (“Philosophes”).
The Philosophes’ movement was driven by the need for progress. The Philosophes believed that the only way humans could progress was by understanding the natural world (Hooker). Humans can then use all the technology available to change the world for the better. The Philosophes also believed that progress could be achieved by understanding things and therefore vanquishing invalid superstitions. The final method of progress was to eliminate human cruelty by changing the way that governments are structured (Torrey). These ideas of progress were never explicitly written, as this was illegal, but many of the Philosophes left subtle hints in their essays, plays, and books (Bodanis, 16).
Deism was another common belief that drove the Philosophes’ movement. Deism is the belief that once God created the world, it was left with self-sustaining power and this power was left to lead the world wherever it may. The Philosophes believed that all religion should be within reason and the followers of all religions should show high moral behavior at all times. The Philosophes also believed that religion should not interfere with human life and the natural world (Hooker). The views of the Philosophes spread fast across Europe (Elton, 196-197).
Tolerance was another important aspect of the Philosophes’ movement. In the eyes of the Philosophes, some of the greatest crimes had been committed in the name of religion, and the Philosophes wanted this to change (Hooker). The Philosophes knew that the only way they could stop this was by teaching religious tolerance. Many of the philosophies were against all forms of structured religion, but they agreed that for peace to occur everyone must respect religion (“Philosophes”). These views were strongly expressed through a number of works by the Philosophes, the most famous being A Treatise on Tolerance by Voltaire (Hooker).
Some of the greatest achievements of the eighteenth century were made by the Philosophes. The peak of the Philosophes’ movement was between 1748 and 1751 (Hooker). The most famous works were Rousseau’s Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences, Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws, and Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie. Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts was an essay on how what we call civilization has actually turned us into bloodthirsty beasts, and how true civilization would be true compassion between all (Elton, 200). Spirit of the Laws was a book on how location, terrain, climate, and a number of other factors affect the outcome of the form of government present in that location. Montesquieu then goes on to explain how the best form of government would have executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as no one person has total power. The book proved to very influential on many people (Hooker). The Encyclopédie is thought to be one of the greatest literary achievements of all time. The Encyclopédie did what all the Philosophes were scared to do; it wrote down the views of hundreds of French Enlightenment thinkers and pointed out what problems needed to be solved (Torrey).
Progress, Deism, and tolerance drove the Philosophes’ movement. The need for change started the Philosophes thinking and they decided that progress was needed. Deism also drove the movement and helped people learn to understand the world better and benefit from this. Religious tolerance was the only way to progress and make peace. The achievements of this group of French thinkers have benefited everyone and have changed the way people think today.
References:
Hooker, Richard. “The Philosophes.” World Civilizations. 1996. 12 Feb. 2008 .
“Philosophe.” Britannica Online Encylopedia. 12 Feb. 2008 .
“Philosophes.” How Stuff Works. 12 Feb. 2008 .
Torrey, Norman L. “Les Philosophes.” Questia Media America. Columbia University. 12 Feb. 2008 .
Bodanis, David. Passionate Minds. London: Crown, 2006.
Elton, G R. Reformation Europe. Malden: Blackwell, 1999.
Porter, Roy. Flesh in the Age of Reason. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2004.
Porter, Roy. The Creation of the Modern World. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2000.
