What is the Ancien Régime/Old Regime?
It is a political system in Europe between the end of the Middle Ages and the French Revolution (between 15th and 18th centuries)
Characteristics of the Ancien Régime
- Absolute monarchies
- Stratified societies: two privilege group (nobility and clergy) that governed and received taxes from the non-privilege group (Third Estate: Bourgeoisie, workers of the city and peasants).
- Great influence of religion on people, education, art and culture, etc.
- Agrarian economy.
What is the Enlightenment?
Philosophical, cultural and scientific movement that emerged in France in the 18th century.
Characteristics of the Enlightenment
- Confidence in reason, only way to understand the world and to achieve progress and happiness, thanks to education. Traditional knowlegde and believes had to be questioned with reason.
- Faith in human progress, thanks to the advance of sience that would lead people to hapiness.
- Criticism of the Old Regime: its political, economic and social structure.
- Religious tolerance, based on reason: deism or God as the architect of the universe.
French Enlightenment thinkers
- Montesquieu: Separation of powers.
- Rousseau: Social contract, popular sovereignty.
- Voltaire: Constitutional monarchy or republic (limited by a parliament); freedom of speech, thought and religion.
- Diderot and D’Alembert: Encyclopédie: 28 volumes with all knowledge of its time.
United Kingdom Enlightenment thinkers
- Adam Smith: Modern economy. Change physiocracy for liberalism.
- John Locke and David Hume: Empiricism (empirical evidence and knowledge).
German Enlightenment thinker
Immanuel Kant: Philosopher. Reason as source of mortality and knowledge.
Absolute Monarchy
- Political system of the Old Regime.
- King by divine right (his power had come from God), with all the powers (executive, legislative, judicial), ran the economy and control the army.
- He could forego convening the Courts or Parliament where the three estates met.
Parliamentary systems
- Appeared after some first revolutionary processes: United Kingdom.
- The power of the king was limited by a parliament.
- In the Republics, the Parliament limited the power of the governors too.
Enlightenment depots
Absolute monarchs who carried out reforms aimed at achieving progress and happiness for their subjects, following the Enlightened.
Ex: Catherine II of Russia, Charles III of Spain, Frederick II of Prusia, etc.
Enlightenment depotism quote
“All for the people, without the people.”
Economic theories
There were three theories:
* Merchantilism (Old Regime)
* Physiocracy (Enlightenment)
* Liberalism of Adam Smith
Merchantilism (Old Regime)
- Economic theory which considered the the wealth of a country came from accumulating previous metals (gold, silver, etc.)
- To achieve this, the imports of products had to be lower than exports. The colonies had to trade only with the mother country.
Physiocracy (Enlightenment)
- Economic theory by François Quesnay.
- The wealth of a nation was based solely on the land (agriculture, mining) because it provides food and the necessary items for craft and trade.
Liberalism of Adam Smith
- Economic theory by Adam Smith in the book The wealth of Nations (1776).
- The work of the individuals, who want to obtain the maximum profit, is the true source of wealth. These rich individuals would end up benefiting society.
- The state should not intervene in the economy because it regulates itself through the law of supply and demand.
1. The state should only intervene with security, justice and infrastructures or services that have a high cost and low profitablity for individuals.
