The Enlightenment: A Comparative Analysis of England and France

The Enlightenment period was a transformative epoch in European history, marked by a widespread critique of traditional authority structures and the ushering in of new ideals focused on reason, individual liberty, and the rejection of arbitrary power. While the movement spanned across Europe, the dynamics in England and France were particularly noteworthy, not just because of their individual trajectories but also due to their broader implications for the European continent.

The 17th-century English Enlightenment revealed concerns about the Anglican Church and the Stuart monarchy that mirrored those in France against its Gallican Church and the powerful reign of Louis XIV. However, the degree and nature of these concerns varied significantly between the two nations. The French monarchy and Church were characterized by their absolutist tendencies, fortified by investigative, disciplinary, and persecutory powers that dwarfed those of their English counterparts.

One critical divergence between the two nations lay in their economic landscapes, particularly in the realm of overseas commerce. France’s overseas trade, whether with the Muslim World or the later colonial commerce of the Americas, was tightly controlled by the monarchy. The profits from these ventures flowed directly into state treasuries, bolstering its absolutist capacities and strengthening its persecutory institutions. England, on the other hand, had a markedly different approach. Its overseas trade was predominantly privatized. Entities like the English Levant and East India companies were private initiatives, with management, ownership, and profits retained outside state control. This economic structure endowed English merchants with significant financial and political power, allowing them to effectively counterbalance pressures from both the monarchy and the Church.

This economic empowerment in England played a significant role in the earlier realization of Enlightenment ideals and reforms by the end of the 17th century. England’s reformed landscape provided fertile ground for the generation of new ideas, many of which would later influence leading French enlighteners. Figures such as Montesquieu and Voltaire, for instance, drew heavily from English Enlightenment ideas. Their works subsequently became instrumental in shaping the trajectory of the French Enlightenment and Revolution in the late 18th century.

However, the French Enlightenment and the subsequent Revolution manifested more radically than their English counterparts. This intensity can be attributed to several factors inherent in the French socio-political landscape: the Church and monarchy’s formidable financial might, their political acumen, the vast institutional resources at their disposal, an unwavering belief in their divine entitlement, and a zealous commitment to defending these privileges.

Central to the European Enlightenment discourse was the intricate relationship between the Church and monarchy. For many enlighteners, the Church was the primary bastion of authority, and any road to monarchical reform invariably passed through ecclesiastical corridors. Using theological dictums, such as St. Paul’s assertion that all powers are God-ordained, the Church furnished an intellectual foundation for the divine rights of kings. By 1625, the French clergy’s proclamations reached an apogee, declaring kings as deities in their own right. This theocratic absolutism was championed fervently by religious orders like the Jesuits. Notably, sustained dissent primarily emanated from papal Rome, which perceived its temporal authority as threatened.

Given this backdrop, it’s no surprise that Enlightenment figures prioritized their critique of the Church, tackling its superstitions and dogmas, before shifting their focus to monarchical excesses. In essence, the Enlightenment was not merely an intellectual rebellion; it was a comprehensive challenge to prevailing socio-political and religious orthodoxies. Its legacy, as evidenced in the varying trajectories of England and France, underscores the movement’s profound impact on the course of European history.