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On the Historical Evolution of Western Political Democracy Theory Around 1789

Author: ShiChengSong
Tutor: ZhaoLiKun
School: Xiangtan University
Course: World History
Keywords: the French revolution Democratic political theory Democratic practices Thinking about democracy
CLC: D091.4
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 79
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Abstract


Since the Enlightenment, democratic theory has guided the implementation of democratic system of human practice, while the effects of democratic system practice has improved and enriched the theory of democratic politics. The 1789 French Revolution has played a vital role in shaping contemporary western democratic political theory. Speaking of the French Revolution, Lenin said, "The French Revolution has made great contribution to the interests of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. And the whole 19th century, that is, to civilization and culture for all humanity, is under the sign of the French Revolution." Therefore, within the front and back 1789, the democratic theory of west evolution is worthy for us to study carefully.Based on the natural law and social contract theory, theory of modern western democracy has gradually been built up. In the beginning of 1789, Montesquieu and Rousseau are the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment democratic of law. Montesquieu took the nationality as the starting point and took history of political and social existence as basis, divided the government into a republic, the monarchy and the autocratic monarchy. He was clearly against autocracy and believed that only a legislative, administrative and judicial separation and counterbalance could prevent the autocratic monarchy. Rousseau assumed all natural condition which was full of freedom and equality and put forward the corresponding social contract. On this basis, Rousseau established the new theory of people’s sovereignty.After the outbreak of the 1789 French revolution, Feuillant attempt to take Montesquieu’s theory as the guide to establish constitutional democracy but it turned without success. Girondins wanted to establish democratic republic in France but failed. The revolution’s situation was very dangerous; the Jacobin was pulled into the French political arena. Jacobin fully advocated Rousseau’s sovereignty of the people and put the revolution to a climax. However, the resulting "terrorist enlarged" made Jacobins failed. After the directory government rule, in 1799 Napoleon established a dictatorship which retained the revolutionary achievements, and then established a monarchy.The western democratic thinkers were greatly shocked by the 1789 the French revolution. They paid the close attention to it and made reflection. The most representative characters were Burke and Tocqueville. Relying on traditional British experience, Burke comprehensively criticized the revolution, which depended on abstract transcendentalism. Although Tocqueville praised the revolutionary’s career, he criticized the only reason for revolution in accordance with the theory. Tocqueville analyzed the continuity of the French revolution and American society political system. He tried to find a way to prevent "majority tyranny" and made social of freedom and democracy come true.The 1789 evolution process of mainstream of western democracy description show, any nation’s democratic political system exists in a certain historical domain, the corresponding democratic political theory and system cannot completely are separated from the historical tradition, but should be consistent with historical practice. Every country and every nation, whose evolution of political democracy is deeply restrained and affected by historical and cultural tradition and social conditions. And in order to achieve this positive effect, it must rely on people’s national self-consciousness and practice.

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CLC: > Political, legal > Political Theory > History of Political Science,History of Political Thought > World History of Political Thought > Modern ( 1640 1917 )
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