The French Revolution of 1789 has been viewed by many as the assertion of principles such as democracy and 
human rights, which became hallmarks of the modern Western world. This cauese of the French Revolution term paper will explore the causes of the French Revolution, including the uprising between classes, impact of the American Revolution, as well as writings of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx. This discussion will demonstrate that there were many economic, cultural, and political factors within France, as well as from thinkers in other parts of Europe, who contributed to the conditions that made the French Revolution possible. The causes of the French Revolution may be divided into those that were immediate, and other influences that created a fertile environment for the revolution, such as the philosophical basis provided by contemporary European thinkers.
The French Revolution was not a spontaneous event. There is a logical connection between the new ideas that emerged during the eighteenth century’s Enlightenment, and the emergence of the Revolution. The ideals of the Enlightenment slowly spread through French society, beginning with the upper class and descending according to social scale, until the peasants finally became aware of ideals such as democracy and equal rights. In addition, the dissemination of these ideas began in Paris and other cities, before they made their way to the provinces. This observation has led some historians to contend that the ideas of the Enlightenment were necessary for the revolution against the old monarchy. Mornet, a French historian asserted: “Political causes would doubtless not have been sufficient to determine the Revolution, at least not as rapidly. It was intelligence that drew out and organized its consequences”.
The intelligence that Mornet mentioned above was the result of an intellectual revolution known as the Enlightenment. Among many ideas proposed by the Enlightenment was the concept that the universe was a vast machine that moved according to physical laws, rather than being moved entirely by God. This change in view meant that humanity was capable of shaping the world and, in some respects, responsible for its own destiny. John Locke, and English proponent of this belief was admired by Voltaire, the French philosopher and writer, who had an impact on the French Revolution.
