Marxist scholars perceive the ultimate cause of the French Revolution to be the rise of the bourgeoisie.4 Marxism is 'a theory of history which assigns a central role to the bourgeoisie as the representatives and beneficiaries of capitalism'.5 According to Georges Lefebvre, 1789 was the moment when this class took power in France as "the great fear allowed the peasants to realise their strength",6 after several centuries of growing numbers and wealth. ...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Illusion of Utopia Matthew E. Hudson April 20, 2002 INTRODUCTION Since the beginning of history, man has tried to devise a perfect political system. Plato designed a utopian Republic, while Karl Marx radically changed the face of the earth by offering up a secular state that is supposed to be sufficient for all. The highest hopes for political systems were held by some 18th century French Enlightenment philosophers, specifically Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas Caritat, the Marquis de Condorcet. However, the concomitant attempt to bring about an ideal humanistic system (based on E...

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