French Revolution Blog #1
You
have each been reborn into French society in the 1700s. You are a
peasant, urban worker, bourgeoisie, noble, clergy, or the King and Queen.
Respond as one of the following based on your last name:
Peasants/ Urban Workers (A - D)
Bourgeoisie (E - H)
Noble (I - L)
Clergy (M - P)
Queen Marie Antoinette (Q - T)
King Louis XVI (U - Z)
Respond
in the voice of your new role. What are your hopes for France? What
is your opinion of Enlightenment ideas? What
would you like to change and what would you like to stay the same.
Why and why not?
You
must also reply to the post of at least ONE other person by telling them if you
agree or disagree with their view for the future of France and why (Remember
you are speaking in your character).
All posts, including your response must be done by 10pm on Friday, 1-26.
My hopes for France is that France will become a prosperous nation where the citizens of France including the upper class will willingly obey the King out of respect. This kingdom will have an upper class where they will help the kingdom and not be selfish by putting France further into debt. This kingdom will advance further through new reforms and not decline by the economic decline we are in right now. Enlightenment ideas will help France advance because people will be more willing to obey the new reforms since it provides more benefits and seems morally better for the nation. For example, the tolerance towards Protestant and Jews will encourage the two religions like me because I will not tolerate the other citizens treating these two religions harshly in my kingdom. The Protestant and Jews will love me as a ruler because of the treatment that they receive in my kingdom which means that I have more power since I am in charge of more people. Another example would be the abolition of the Taille. The peasants will love me because I took a heavy burden off of their shoulders. I knew that the peasants had a lot of taxes to pay because of the debt that France is in. The abolition of the Taille might have placed us into further debt, but it is okay since the peasants will felt relieved and liked me more which decreased the chances that they will revolt. I would like to change the upper class’ spending habits. They were the one of the main reasons why France was in debt. I would implement a new law that regulates how much they can spend. I would also like to implement the idea of the upper class paying more taxes than the lower class. The upper class can afford much more than the peasants and by them paying taxes, the debt will be relieved faster from the increase in the amount of taxes and gives me power over the upper class which solves the disobedience problem with the nobles. The peasants would be happy because it makes them feel better that they have some sort advantage over the upper class by not paying taxes. I would like the absolute monarchy to stay the same because as long as there is a King who is not corrupt and truly wants the best for his people, like me, he can do whatever he feels is best for his people and there will be a higher chance of him succeeding since he has a lot of power over his people and will actually listen to the commoners unlike others.
ReplyDelete-King Louis XVI/Jenna Wang
I agree with your position due to the fact that the economy of France needs to improve dramatically. However, I believe that the bourgeoisie should have more power and be considered in the Second Estate for all of the work we do. We provide jobs to the peasants, which increases not only trade, but your wealth as well. As long as my class is wealthy, I will be able to provide you with extensive wealth and a little amount of debt and stress from said debts. You also wouldn’t have to tax peasants as extensively and they will actually obey and possibly listen to you more. Therefore, if you allow for the bourgeoisie to be apart of the Second Estate, since we allow for the economy to flourish and provide the peasants with work to pay taxes which give you wealth, your points will be easier to be achieved.
DeleteI have many hopes for my beloved country of France. I hope we become much richer from the colonies and new trade opportunities so I can be richer and throw more parties for my friends and I. I also hope that the peasants get enough food so they won't be sad that I am throwing away much of France's budget. If they are not getting enough food: "Let them eat cake." My views are the same as my husband's on the enlightenment. I support them because it will benefit the country in many ways. All I want is everyone to get along so I can throw my extravagant parties. I would like several things to change in France. First, I would like France to have more money for more parties for me. Second, I would like everyone to get along so France doesn't have to spend money on putting down peasant revolts or spending it wars where it could be better spent on my parties. I would also like the peasants to get food so they stop complaining about the extravagance and money being spent on my parties. Overall, I just want more parties for my friends and I.
ReplyDeleteQueen Marie Antoinette/ Zach Solomon
DeleteI agree with my beloved wife in her views of France. I believe that Enlightenment will advance France further into the world as a whole because the reforms that I have introduced seems to be making the people happier and be working. However, I do disagree, my dear wife, with the fact of getting more money. With more money, the peasants will become more angrier that the tax increased, meaning they have to pay more money. Peasants will revolt which will send France into a decline. As a King, I will try not to do anything that would send my kingdom into decline, even if I have to give up my own enjoyment for it. My wife, I do not think that everyone will get along if you want more money. I think that you should find a different way to pass your time instead of throwing parties, so that we can relieve France of our debt.
Delete-King Louis XVI/Jenna Wang
I disagree with you, you are the problem why France is in debt and are in a financial crisis. If it wasn't for you and your excessive parties and spending, we would be fine and us peasants would not have to pay extra taxes. You want more money, but you are the problem why we do not have money. You decide to tax the hardest working class extra in order to get more money for your useless parties, which makes no sense. That is unprofessional to care more about yourself than the people that you are ruling, so you should not be in power. Pay attention the peasants and the people of France rather than yourself and your parties.
DeletePeasants/Jared Chavez
I agree with you in the fact that the Enlightenment will help our country's economy prosper and benefit overall. I also agree that you and your husband should give us peasants more food, but I feel like we deserve more. We make up more than half the population of France and we are the hardest working estate and deserve more food and less taxes. Although, I believe you should stop throwing these expensive parties causing national debt to France. You are the reason we are in debt.
DeletePeasant/Diego Chavez
I hope that France will continue for trade to flourish and we keep trading with other nations in the Americas, so I can maintain my position in being a wealthy factory owner. I also hope that my wealth is accepted into the Second Estate, so I don’t share a life of dirt with the peasants. For my class having such a large involvement in the ownership of a key part of the economy, I believe that we should have a more active role in social structure of France’s society. Even though I am a member of the upper middle class, my position in society won’t allow for me, according to the government, to become a high rank as they are. Since Enlightenment has been introduced to France, we have been to have an impact in Westernization as well as been able to sail across the ocean with newer technologies. Several members of my class, which are merchants, need sea trade in order to keep their status and wealth in France. Something that I would like to change in France is my ranking in society. Even though I don’t have as many responsibilities as nobles, the jobs of my class keeps the economy circulating and without me, there wouldn’t be any factories or merchants. With this, I believe that my rank should be a part of the Second Estate because we don’t even compare to the dirty peasants who work below us. Something that I would like to stay the same is being able to buy certain privileges, such as political office. I want it to stay the same so that the peasants won’t be able to have power over us, since they are poor and don’t deserve to mix with us uppers. Overall, the quality of my life is better than average; however, it could always be better an increase in trade, greater economy, and higher social status for the bourgeoisie.
ReplyDelete- Bourgeoisie/Lauren Feldman
I understand why you would want to join us nobles in the second estate, but I disagree with your views on Enlightenment ideals and how France’s society should change. I would not like people who originated from the third estate to be in my class. I and many other nobles feel that we are superior than anyone below my social status. Having people in the lower class would lower the second estate’s position and prestige. I think France’s social status is fine the way it is, with us nobles close to the top. If more people joined our groups, our reserved, high positions in the government and military would be harder to obtain. Many people in the middle class have already taken jobs in the bureaucracy that had once been saved for us. Although Enlightenment would benefit you, it would decrease my social standing as being higher than you and the peasants. Since you earn much money from your trade, I think you should continue to be taxed. Nobles like me have little incomes. We only control some of the land and manage the peasants, so we have no money to pay taxes with.
Delete- Noble/Nicola Lai
DeleteMy hopes for France is to keep it as extravagant as possible and fill it with all kinds of riches. France needs to be as lavish as possible so it can fit all my needs and wants. The best thing for France is to throw elegant dances and parties to make France seem as wealthy as possible. I think that the Enlightenment will help France with new ideas and technology. The Enlightenment will improve France because of all the new that is bringing and the new can help France gain more money. More money can lead to more riches, which is something France needs. The Enlightenment will also help France advance and any type of improvement is good. The main thing I would change about France is money, since we have fallen into a debt we need to find a new source of money such as taxing. If we tax, the third tier more we will gain more money. The money we gain from them can help pay off our debts. But I would keep France the same by still throwing my extravagant and elegant dances, to show how luxurious France is. France needs to keep it's way of being wealthy and grand.
ReplyDelete- Queen Marie Antoinette / Myah Shaikh
As a clergyman, I partly agree with your vision for France. Filling France with riches would be extremely beneficial for me. The tithe would increase, growing the power of the Catholic church, as well as increasing my profit. When the power of the Church and the entire religion increases, the result is increased religious fervor of the people, a goal of mine. Religious dedication is important to me, a member of the clergy, and the increasing of wealth in France could help the Church. Although I agree with the riches part of the future of France, I disagree with your views on the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment ideas will not help advance France! They will only corrupt the people and draw power from the Church and the entire religion. In addition, those very Enlightenment ideas that you think would advance France are actually undermining us clergy. These ideas, such as humanism, and philosophies criticize me on how I am idle and interfere in politics. Enlightenment ideas are harmful to France. Overall, I mostly agree with your vision of France. The riches would give a boost to the Catholic church and my profit. On the other hand, the introduction of Enlightenment ideas was horrible and must go.
Delete- A member of the clergy/ Emerson Meeks
I absolutely agree with you Marie Antoinette, as in our current standing the powers of governance were personally delivered to the monarchs bloodline, my bloodline, that we have the right to rule our people and we are entitled to prosper from it. This includes our use of parties to to entice the nobility. However, these luxuries are rewarded to our bloodline by the will of God, therefore we are entitled to these luxuries by all good Christians who support our divine creator. Furthermore, I do agree that our nation is threatened by an ensuing fiscal crisis, this does prompt some merit to the case for minor reformations of our systems, some of which I dearly support. I do agree that some Enlightenment ideals must be used to help our nation. However, our current goal must be to remain with the traditions of the past which have guaranteed our nation so much success, and continue to tax our people so that we can raise our country and each other to greatness. May our extravagant parties continue.
DeleteKing Louis XVI/ Aaron Ullman
As a member of the approximately 100,000 clergy in France, I hope for an increase in the religious fervor in France. Catholicism, the dominant religion in France, is the religion I practice. I hope for the people of France, most specifically the peasant class, for increase their dedication to the religion. Since we members of the clergy collect 10% of the tithe for ourselves, as well as being exempt from taxes, increased religious fervor results in increased profit for us. For example, the most important cardinals can make around $2 million! I do not agree with the Enlightenment ideas. I condemn them, accusing them for undermining religion and moral order. Enlightenment ideas, such as humanism, drew power from religion and the Catholic church, causing us clergy to become upset. Their philosophies often targeted the Church for reform, calling us clergy idle and criticized our interference in politics. For those reasons, I feel the Enlightenment ideas are horrible for the sake of religion and my position. As previously stated, one change in France that would please me would be an increase in religious fervor. This would increase our wealth and the power of the Catholic church in France. I would like my position in politics and society to stay the same. I have the power to control the educational system. I can even censor literature and artistic expression! I would like these things to stay the same in France because they allow me to live a worry-free life. I can control how the outside world and other religions are viewed through education. I can also remove the more secular forms of artistic expression from France! Overall, my current life as a member of the Catholic clergy in France is great!
ReplyDelete- A member of the clergy/ Emerson Meeks
As a noble, I agree with you about the terribleness of the Enlightenment ideas. Our current system of the estates works well and we do not need new ideas and beliefs to challenge this. Just as how the Enlightenment challenges your power and religion, the Enlightenment challenges the position of us nobles by increasing the Third Estates's status. Why should we introduce changes that'll only disrupt our current system? Just as you have said, France should remain the same. I do believe that our powers could grow more with increased territory and money within the First and Second Estate but those members within the Third Estate should simply comply and remain satisfied with their position and not try to go about changing things.
DeleteNoble/Cathleen Liang
As the Queen, I completely agree with you because if the peasants convert, that can increase money for France and France needs as much as they can get. Making $2 million can extremely help France to slowly fall out of it's debt. But when it comes to the Enlightenment I believe that all the new it can bring will help France advance. To me the Enlightenment can be a new way France gains money and money is the one thing France really needs. Overall, I do agree about how you think when it comes to taxing the peasants. For me, I think taxing them more can benefit France and you because the church will be gaining more money.
Deletetest
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the Second estate noble, My hopes of the French Empire in the future would be for the empire to expand. This is my hope because then the king might entrust me with more land and a bigger estate. I find this delightful because I can have more power and influence where my estate is located, and if the area it occupies is larger, then I will have influence over a larger area. The Enlightenment ideas sounds to me is scary and I dislike it because it will question my higher ranking in society. The third estate will want to have a reason why I have more benefits than them and why I am more superior. My peasants at my estate might revolt and cause a major disruption in my influence and power. That is why I do not like the Enlightenment ideas. I feel like the King and Queen can carry on just fine but have some reforms to the noble class. One thing that I find most irritating is how far I live away from the capital or center of power. When I have to respond to the king and go to the capital, I must travel large distances away from my estate. The king already has housing for me so that is a positive thing, but it seems to affect the influence I have on where my manor is. Sometimes I have to stay at the king's palace for multiple years, severely affecting my power I have over my estate as a noble. Oftenly, I find myself a little short on funds to run my estate but the king only gives me a small amount of financial income. I hope that the king raises my income as well in the future for this reason. It would not hurt to step away from the absolute monarchy that we already have established as well. With this highly centralized government, I'm more likely to be replaced by a royal governor, which is also why I don't like the established bureaucracy we have.
ReplyDelete-Noble/William Jiang
I agree with you in the first part of your passage, but not after the first sentence. I think that you have enough land and you should be grateful that you have this much powerful AND you are invited to many of my parties. You should also be happy that you are a noble and not a peasant.
DeleteAs a First Estate member of the Clergy, I have to day that I agree with you on the possible destructive impacts of Enlightenment. While I, too, would not want to be pushed into a lower class because of these rising values, I also believe that it will lead to further tarnishing of the name of the Catholic Church. The estate system that we have in place right now works well, with my people educating the lower class on Catholic Ideals under orders from the King and Queen and yours taking care of regional territories making the whole territory easier to manage. The rise of the peasant class and Third Estate, which will be inevitable through Enlightenment, will cause them to rise into your class and take over your positions as well as start having less respect for the church and the royals. However, I do not think that you as nobles should have more land if this Enlightenment is abolished. There is no way to tell how much you will be able to take care of before you have bitten off more than you can chew, and one slip up could also cause the peasants to rise. With smaller amounts of land, you have less to worry about and can spend more time focusing on the absorbing more information and faith of the Catholic Church, keeping all Estates connected to Catholicism. Thus, I think you should be happy with the life that you currently possess in the Second Estate and we Clergy Members will fight against Enlightenment alongside you.
Delete-Clergy/Macy McPherson
DeleteAs Queen Marie Antoinette I agree with you in that the empire should expand. One thing that could happen is we could tax the land that we get once we expand which could bring in more money. If we let you nobles run the land and you guys present the taxes to us that would be great for the whole empire, and your status as nobles would be greatly honored as you would be doing the whole empire a huge favor.
DeleteQueen Marie Antoinette
My fellow citizens it is I, Louis XVI, your king. Like all of you, I hope that these financial problems can be dealt with and I wish for France to grow and prosper. For France has the potential for remaining a dominant power within Europe in regards to our military and our economy, however with the state of our beleaguered finances and our rise of crop failures. Across my realm I hear your pleads of reform and enlightenment, I once desired some enlightened reforms. However, I wish for France to maintain most of its systems, like the three estates, because our society has long remained upon the backs of the union of three estates under the king who was appointed by god to lead you. Yet, it is clear to me that reform may be necessary to tackle our current debt, therefore I wish to implement some reforms such as bringing taxation upon the nobles who can help free this country from debt, tolerating Jews to expand our wide economy, and abolishing some taxation upon the poor. Yet, I severely disagree with any Enlightened individual who wishes to overthrow the monarchy and its systems. Although, I believe that some Enlightenment values will improve France, it is important to follow traditional governance and leave those decisions upon the backs of the three estates, our bureaucracy, and the luxury of our monarchy in this time of pure necessity. As I part from this message I would like to restate to you that I do support some of the ideas of the Enlightenment and I agree that France needs some reform, however I feel that the best course of action for the nation of France is to remain with our traditions for the time being and leave our bureaucracy, clergy, nobility, and monarchy in power for the sake of our country and God. I earnestly do so to fulfill the best intents for this country as I hope to both maintain this nation (and my power and lifestyle) through these coming times, so that France can rise and become the strong nation I know it can be.
ReplyDelete- King Louis XVI/ Aaron Ullman
Being a noble from the Second Estate, I hope that France improves its economic situation and provides us with higher incomes. We do not earn much financial income, and it is becoming harder and harder to maintain my status and lavish appearance. Some of us nobles are rich, but some are also poor and unable to even afford proper clothes and jewelry. As nobles, we should be able to demonstrate how much higher we are than the third estate. I am against the Enlightenment ideas. Although they promote a government different from absolute monarchy, which I dislike, the Enlightenment ideas, like the social contract, would give the middle and lower class more equality and power. The middle class is already taking some of our jobs in the royal bureaucracy, and we don’t want to lose our privileges of having guaranteed high ranks in the military and being exempt from taxes. I would like the position of nobles to stay the same, or even improve. We own the land and protect some of the lower class, so we should be able to have more power. Even though we are invite to stay at King Louis XVI’s palace of Versailles, where we can enjoy its luxuries, it limits our power because we have to leave our lands, which are far away, for extended periods. Our privileges as nobles should also stay the same. If we need more money, we should tax the peasants more. We serve higher positions in the military and bureaucracy, even though those positions were given to use by the government, and we own 30% of France’s land. We also have to compete for King Louis XVI’s attentions. I would also like a change in government. I dislike the absolute monarchy because we don’t get much power, but I also do not want the government to change according to Enlightenment ideals, since it would lower my position.
ReplyDelete-Noble/Nicola Lai
I hope that France will treat me, a peasant, better. I do too much for France to be treated like garbage and like an animal. Us peasants make up 3/4 of France's population, but we still shoulder the greatest tax burden. We work the hardest yet we get treated the worst. I hope that France will wake up and start to give us peasants what we deserve as the hardest working class. The hardest working class should not be treated the worst and have to give away our earnings. France should stop upper class extravagant spending and focus on the citizens of the country, the majority of the country. The excessive spending needs to stop and they need to spend the money where it really matters, on us. We should not pay and sacrifice our earnings to pay for the carelessness of the upperclass and their excessive spending. The people of France should come first under a ruler, but the rulers are selfish and only think about themselves. Enlightenment ideas will benefit us because it brings more attention to society and every person and their quality of life, rather than social hierarchy. I would like France to change in a major way. I want France to bring much more attention to us peasants and give us a better quality of life because we do the most for this country. The hardest working class should be treated the best, and that is something that needs to change, immediately. I would like if I was not taxed as much and if they did not take away most of my earnings. France needs to change for the better, especially for us, the peasants.
ReplyDeletepeasants/ Jared Chavez
DeleteI disagree with you low-life peasant in your complaints about giving away a portion of your work. You peasants should not complain about working the hardest when you rely on nobles, like myself to protect you and provide you a place to work. Without us nobles, you peasants would most likely starve even more or die. We nobles have control over the high ranks in the military, which protects you from foreign invasions from France’s enemies. We also own the fields in which you work on. Without your work on fields, you wouldn’t be able to grow any crops or have any money at all. This is because you get a small portion of what you earn. Without earnings, you would receive nothing.
DeleteNoble/Stacey Lai
As a peasant, I would would like France to change in ways that I, a peasant, am as equal as everyone. I would like to have a voice in society and be able to make money and get food and not have to worry about it being taken away. We make up three-fourths of the population in France, easily the hardest working class, and yet we are still treated like we do nothing. My view on Enlightenment is that it will boost our economy and with that, it will boost our way of life as peasants. I would like to change that fact that we, peasants, have no voice even though we make up more than half the population in France. We are the hardest working estate and deserved to be payed more and shoulder less tax burden.
ReplyDeletePeasant/Diego Chavez
DeleteAs a noble from the second estate, I find this remark absolutely disgusting and disagree completely. You being peasants will never be equal to all of our higher estates and I refuse to share power with those working under me. I do not want to pay taxes like a commoner, and want to keep my influence throughout my region. You will continue to not be payed because of your social class standings and the fact that France is too poor to pay for all of you peasants. If France gave a wage to everyone, it would go so far in debt, we would be working backwards. The 1st and 2nd estate have to keep living lavish lifestyles in order to have prosperity in France.
Delete-Noble/William Jiang
As a noble from the second estate, I find this remark absolutely disgusting and disagree completely. You being peasants will never be equal to all of our higher estates and I refuse to share power with those working under me. I do not want to pay taxes like a commoner, and want to keep my influence throughout my region. You will continue to not be payed because of your social class standings and the fact that France is too poor to pay for all of you peasants. If France gave a wage to everyone, it would go so far in debt, we would be working backwards. The 1st and 2nd estate have to keep living lavish lifestyles in order to have prosperity in France.
Delete-Noble/William Jiang
My hopes for France lies in the growth of the economy of our nation while retaining the traditional mindset of government and power. Currently, us nobles are entrusted with key roles within the government and military. However, many of us live through the land we own with limited financial income, putting a strain on our cultural lifestyle. I hope that our economy will grow to allow our status to increase and emphasize our superiority over the Third Estate. As for the Enlightenment, I am against these ideas and the changes they bring. It should be noted of the importance of us nobles and the prestige we have. The Enlightenment brings ideas of social change and the growth in the power of the Third Estate. The royal bureaucracy already employs middle class men into positions that are rightfully ours and contaminates the court with their inferior culture. We do not need more power within the Third Estate when they should be working harder to supply France with the money and goods we need. I would like to bring about changes within the power of the nobles. As stated previously, some nobles are unable to receive the finances required to support our lifestyle. We need to bring about heavier taxation on the peasants and bring increased power and wealth to the nobles. While I am not against our rulers, I am against the principles of absolutism that may challenge the powers I have. The king should put more trust and benefits to the nobles. Overall, France should stay the same in regards to the Estate system and those below us should remain happy and content with the positions they are given.
ReplyDeleteNoble/Cathleen Liang
I agree that Enlightenment shall not be part of the lives of any Estate within our nation. This nation is superior as is and because of those ridiculous ideas of Enlightenment, it has brought war between the Third Estate and the authority of the Second and First Estate. If it weren't for those ideas, those peasants wouldn't be rebelling against us and we would remain a prosperous nation. This is why I agree with the fact of the getting rid of Enlightenment ideas and any others that threaten the authority of our powers.
Delete-Clergy/Raul Perez
I hope that France will prosper economically with a higher regard for those with higher prestige, and that it’s government will continue the traditional privileges offered to us nobles, like freedom from tax. France, my once honorable country, now is only troublesome with problems such as differences in wealth between those of the same status, little financial income for me and my counterparts, and being seen as an “equal” to filthy plebeians. My only wish is that France will change by giving more wealth to the nobles who cannot afford to appear in the king’s court, and limit the commoners who are taking our place in positions once restricted to us. My neighboring nobles can afford the fine dress needed to appear before the crown, while I do not have the sufficient funds. This is because I have little financial income and a increase in prices. Positions that the prestigious, like me, had once been offered are now also offered to the insignificant. The gap between me and those lowly level people is coming closer and closer! This is because of the now-demeaning royal bureaucracy, who promotes tossing the position once held for the great to the meaningless individuals. A change for enlightenment ideas would only close the gap between me and the peasants. Enlightenment promotes the “equality” between classes. The people from the third estate would be seen as equal, when in fact, this would be an illusion. I am better than the peasants because they rely on me protection. Even though these changes are vital in the reestablishment of a prosperous nobility, there are several things that should continue, such as our freedom from taxes, and monopoly on all high ranks in the military. The freedom from taxes is needed since we, nobles, already have a limited financial income. High ranks in the military should be continued to be presented only to those of significance, like me and other nobles, as a lower status will only degrade the position.
ReplyDeleteNoble/Stacey Lai
DeleteAs a member of the First Estate in the Clergy, my main hope for France is for the citizens of my territory to place more of an influence on the Catholic Church. I will reach all of France (the First, Second, and Third Estate) and educate them the divine workings of Catholicism, giving them knowledge that they would not otherwise have access to. The peasants and other members of the Third Estate have the least access to this as of now, so I hope to educate them to the point of full Catholic faith. I decide who gets to learn what and have the ability to withhold sinful information within books and art as I please. I also benefit as a citizen from this status, seeing how the peasants paid me 10% of their income for church improvements and I pay no taxes of my own. As long as there are people that have faith in the church or those who need to be educated on it, I am all set. Enlightenment is completely unnecessary in my opinion and I believe that it is doing much more harm than good. The spread of Enlightenment has led to an unnecessary and unfair tarnishing of the name of the Church, with my fellow Clergy along with it. The peasants and others who adapted this form wanted the church to undergo reform, when it is clear that we are not the problem. The Catholic church plays a major role in keeping France united as one and if we start to doubt its upheaving power then it is only a matter of time before we fall into disarray. It completely undermines moral order. If change were possible, I would like to put a stop to this Enlightenment thinking and reinstate complete faith back in the Catholic Church. This would not only give the people of France something to look to in the time of need, but it would keep me, a member of the Catholic Clergy, in a high position of power. I would not want much to change other than that. Full faith should continue to be put in the Catholic Church and the people in all Three Estates should allow it to guide them in their life decisions. There is no current problem with the system because people are educated and have religious faith, two things that will keep them motivated and competent in their lives. As a Clergyman, I should continue to have a say in the legislature and court of laws of the First Estate and make high wages due to the importance of my societal role. I hope that Enlightenment perishes and religious views rise back up, making all as it should be in France once again.
ReplyDelete-Clergy/Macy McPherson
I would say that my hopes for France are that France needs to convert back to being economically stable, or yet, thriving economically, while also the population of France need to go back to honoring me for being the extravagant person that I am. France needs this because one, I am in the first estate and we get most of the wealth and riches, I know that if I can't continue my lavish life of having parties, giving presents, and organizing dances, then I know that the second estate of nobles, Bourgeoisie, and the third estate of clergy, workers, and peasants more than likely don't have any money for themselves either. I believe that the enlightenment shall improve France but giving us that extra money that we need as a country. With the advanced ideas, that should be able to make our nation smarter in our politics which shall ultimately make us bring in more money. More money leads to more food for all the people in the country, which is something we need at this moment. What I would like to stay the same is for my parties to continue, yet I feel as if anyone who wants to come should be able to come. They should make everyone happy and it should be a French condition.
ReplyDeleteQueen Marie Antoinette/Brandon Shelton
I, one of the many clergy members within the First Estate of France I understand that many of those who live within the Third Estate live a hard life and struggle to live as comfortable as those in the Second and Third Estate. Because of this, I hope that the future of France holds peace between all three Estates and that Catholicism still remains as the one and only faith in France. To bring peace between all, I ask that you peasants give 10 percent of your income to the Church as support for future developments and for the opportunity to help you be one, with the faith of Catholicism. In addition, because I don't pay any taxes, in return other clergy and myself will help educate you all and will help in the process of censoring any art or books that we believe go against our faith. Another thing to ask from you peasants is not to fall for the tricks of the ideas of Enlightenment. These ideas are trying to question our authority and legitimacy of our current values of the Church. I believe that all of these concepts of Enlightenment shall be banished, forbidden, forever gone! Some of my requests for this nation is to keep my life the same. I enjoy the fact of paying no taxes and believe that I or other clergy should have to pay any for the duties we serve this nation. As for what I wish shall change are the ideas of Enlightenment as all clergy believe they are a threat to our nation and will be the reason for the downfall of France!
ReplyDelete-Clergy/Raul Perez