18th Century Europe: Society, Politics, and Enlightenment
Guilds (Gremio)
Guilds were groups of artisans in the same profession who controlled the volume of production, the techniques employed, and selling prices.
Manufactures
Manufactures emerged in the 18th century, during the Old Regime. The process was completely manual. Its novelty was concentrating a high number of workers, hired under one roof.
Absolute Power
The king held all powers, and his authority was believed to come from God. This occurred in the 18th century, during the Old Regime, and power was concentrated into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
The Crisis of the Old Regime: The Spirit of Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a movement that developed in Europe in the 18th century. Its ideas inspired the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution. Its roots can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries with figures like Isaac Newton and John Locke. The Enlightenment championed absolute reason as the only means to understand and explain the world. Enlightenment thinkers trusted reason, believed that nature was a source of justice and kindness, and proclaimed that man was born to be happy.
Criticism of the Old Regime
Enlightenment thinkers criticized the pillars of the Old Regime and proposed a new model of political and social organization. They primarily criticized absolutism and shaped the foundations of a new political doctrine known as liberalism. Montesquieu advocated for the division of powers. Rousseau defended the need for a social contract and formulated the principle of national sovereignty. Voltaire proclaimed himself a defender of freedom of conscience and asserted that human relationships should be based on tolerance.
Enlightened Despotism
The influence of Enlightenment thinking reached European courts, and some sovereigns attempted reformist experiments. Common features included centralizing absolutism, streamlining administration, promoting education, and pursuing economic modernization. The contradictions of this reformism paved the way for liberal revolutions.
Stratified Society
Stratified society is a class system that originated with feudalism, in which individuals are assigned to strata that define the activities they can engage in and the rights enjoyed by each of its members.
The Estates
Society in the Old Regime was divided into closed classes, to which one belonged by birth. Three estates were established:
- The Clergy: Their role was to pray and ensure divine protection.
- The Nobility: They fought and protected the community.
- The Third Estate: Their social function was to produce material goods.
Privileges
The clergy represented less than 1% of the population. They did not have to pay direct taxes, and their revenues came from tithes and their own patrimony. The higher clergy came from the noble classes, while the lower clergy were of peasant origin. The nobility was the second most privileged class, representing between 2% and 3% of the population, and they owned most of the land.
Underprivileged
The Third Estate was a diverse group encompassing various social sectors. Despite their differences, they were united by a common interest at the end of the Old Regime. The bourgeoisie were the most economically dynamic group in society. The popular urban classes were manual workers gathered in cities. The peasantry constituted the majority of the population and was divided between free peasants, who could be owners or tenants, and serfs or day laborers.