Napoleon- Eric

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest leaders of all time. He conquered most of Europe during his time as a leader. In conquering Europe Napoleon was trying to protect his people. All of his opponents were threats to France. Also, Napoleon created the best form of law that France had seen. It was called the Napoleonic Code. It created equality under the law for all men. As well it removed serfdom from society. The government run schools (lycées) that Napoleon created helped to extreme patriotism. Napoleon was the main reason for France?s success. By: Eric Hawkins

The Leadership of Napoleon- Owen

Throughout the course of Napoleon’s life, he was a great leader. He did numerous things to benefit France during the revolution. Starting in low military ranks, Napoleon quickly worked his way up to being great military ranks and was soon adored by many men and fellow officers. Napoleon had great plans and ideas for France as a nation and devoted his life to seeing to it that his ideas made an impact. France, under Napoleon’s rule, won countless battles and expanded the empire further. Napoleon kept a careful watch through followers and Frances army, to ensure Frances allies would not turn on him. Without a doubt Napoleon did a textbook job at stabilizing France and growing his army. The gain was all for France, even though he did progress through ranks. As well as military accomplishments, he also did many great political things for his nation. Having en-stated Napoleonic code for the people, he changed France forever. He established an education system, so people could be more educated. It can be argued that education was purely for military use, but even if it was, more educated people wouldn't be killed as easily with their abilities to take orders and use common sense. Either way you look at it, Napoleon was a great leader, which was exactly what France needed.  

French Revolution- Connor

        Do you think Napoleon was a great leader of France or was he a self-centred killer? He was a great military leader and did many good things on the war side, but his political side wasn?t so good and he seemed like he wanted to change too much in too little of time. I feel like napoleon was fearless and he never really thought about every outcome, which wouldn?t show on the battle field and if it did it would usually benefit him, but it would show it on his political side and sometimes hurt him and his empire. He won several brilliant wars because of this and gained lots of territory, and becoming general by age 24. He also made the Napoleonic code which benefited people by freedom of religion and equality under the law but it also hurt women?s and children?s rights, he also had a couple political accomplishments like making everyone pay taxes and abolishing serfdom, he did a great job at spreading nationalism and making his people proud. So Napoleons positive contributions outweigh is bad ones. Napoleon did what he though was best for war and his community sometimes these things did get in the way and damage others like his economy, women?s and children?s rights, but overall Napoleon was an outstanding leader and there will most likely never be another one like him.

Napoleon- Weston

Napoleon was so power hungry that he took France into many battles to gain land. Napoleon had good military strategies but poor tactics. Like when napoleon lead his men into Russia to invade Russia because they were trading with Britain. Due to Russia?s setting crops and houses on fire, Napoleon looses men to starvation and the cold. Napoleon had made public schools so that they would be smart and so that he would build his army. Napoleon brought in the Napoleonic code and that took away women?s and kids rights.

French Revolution- Bryden

Napoleon was one of the most brilliant leaders in history. Napoleon was not born into power since he spent early years training to become an army officer at a French military academy. Napoleon rose very quickly in the army during the revolution because many officers fled France. Napoleon was general at age 24/27 and soon received command. Napoleon won several brilliant victories over the Austrians who ruled northern Italy. Napoleon also invaded Egypt and defeated them. Napoleon controlled nearly all of Europe, Netherlands, and parts of Italy. Napoleon invented many great things like the Napoleonic code. The Napoleonic code had many key concepts at its core like, Equality under the law, Freedom of religion, and the code also abolishes serfdom, just to list a few. The Code contributed greatly to Napoleon's achievement of helping France turn away from the past. To strengthen the French economy, he enforced a law requiring all citizens to pay taxes. He also created the national Bank of France, in which the tax money was deposited. He also set up government-run school to fill the need for educated, loyal government officials. Napoleon was also very greedy as he grabbed the crown from the Pope?s hand and crowned himself. I believe that without being a little greedy you can?t be a very good leader. Yes he made some bad decisions but everyone can?t be perfect. These are just some of the reasons why I think he was a good leader. 

Napoleon

            Napolean was a self centered leader who only cared about personal glory. Not what was best for the people of France. He acted in ways that only fanatical leaders would. He constantly attacked other European nations for the purpose of having territory and gaining glory. This worked for him in the beginning but eventually lead to his downfall as emperor when he would overextend his troops thinking that he was invincible, and could never be beaten in battle. The fact that there was an overall, long-lasting benefit to his rule was only because he knew supporting those ideas would made him more likable from the peoples perspective. Aside from acting invincible in battle he also said “I am no ordinary man” trying to convince people that he was some sort of superior human. To add to his claims he also crowned himself emperor of France, making France an empire instead of what revolutionary ideas supported. Once he was defeated and sent to Elba only to return to France, crown himself emperor, take control of the French army and go to war with Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. In conclusion, the emperor we know as the person to spread enlightenment ideas over Europe is actually a fanatical, power hungry dictator, who put France under his sole rule, and also had a god complex which eventually led to his defeat.

Kohlton

The Third Estate: An Evaluation-Emily

Before the French Revolution or during the Old/Ancien Regime society was divided into three estates: the first Estate which consisted of the Clergy, The second Estate which consisted of the Nobles and the Third and lowest Estate which was made up of everyone else who lived then. The third Estate was the worst Estate to live in because of the unfair tax system and harsh living conditions.

Absolute Monarchy Isn't a Good Form of Government- Kacey

An absolute monarchy is not a good form of government because the people have little to no say in the decisions made, which leads to a bias government only displaying one point of view. A monarchy is a form of government in which a king or a queen rules over a country, having the upper hand in all decisions that have to be made. People are able to state their views through people lower than the king, but overall the king or queen makes the final decision. Because of this the common folk have little power in the decision making process. The best they can hope for is to have an influence in the decision. A form of government with an official elected by the people to run the country would be the best form, because the elected official represents the people. This way all people can get their thoughts on decisions, etc. into the government making it not so bias and narrow-minded. These theories proved themselves worthy time and time again in the French Revolution.  Before the revolution, France had an absolute monarchy type of government. Most people weren't happy with this because of the incompetent leaders who had all the power. Louis XV was described as unintelligent and a weak ruler, while his successor, Louis XVI was described as indecisive and was known for his disinterest in political power. Louis XVI consulted no one when it came to making decisions, and therefore gave all the power to himself. While under the Old Regime (monarchy) France decided to help with the American Revolution, because of this France was in a financial crisis.  Because of this, the decision was made that only the third estate (peasants, poor people) would have to pay taxes. This just shows how little influence the people had, because if they did have any influence they would have never stood for the heavy, unfair taxes they had to pay. Having a government where people can influence the decisions and elect someone who they deem fit to rule is the best form of government because everyone is represented and everyone has somewhat of a say. Unlike the monarchy during the French Revolution which only caused problems.

Napoleon was the best war general that France has seen?

Napoleon had a very large army that supported him and his cause. The French Revolution was a truly amazing event. It began as a really liberal revolution, but was hijacked by murderous people; namely Robespierre, who led the revolutionaries called the Jacobins. When Napoleon held power in a nearly failed attempt, he became the Emperor   of a nation that was affected by the old monarchies of Europe. Napoleon found himself at the head of nation that was inclined to welcome his proven military skills, which could be usefully deployed in the defence of France and its newfound freedoms.  Napoleon proved himself to be much more than just a successful general. Napoleon had a good army that was one of the smallest but one of the most powerful or well prepared for anything you could throw at it. He won so many battles in his power that he took over most of Europe. Napoleon had a great background for being a general or political leader. He made a law called the Napoleonic Code which made all estates of that time had to pay taxes and the women and children lost all of their rights.

They Were Villains!- Cassidy

Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) and Louis XVI (1754-1793) were training troops for the war, so they spent money on the troops and not on the people of France. The people did not even have any food or a job or a home even, so most of the people died because the either starved to death or they just died because they could not take it. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were villains in this situation.

Napoleon the Egotistical Dictator

Napoleon Bonaparte was a power hungry dictator and was only portrayed as great through his followers. Napoleon thought of himself as a waking god amongst regular men and allowed his ego to get the best of him. To most he may have had a good start to his career as being one of the youngest French men to accomplish what he had at that age, but his greatest ally became his greatest downfall, his brain. After his successions his fellow man made him out to be some sort of deity and Napoleon welcomed those thoughts and ideas into his mind.  Some of the many devilish things Napoleon did was the way he led his men and soldiers into death traps towards the end of his rule. He started thinking so high of himself that he stopped thinking all together and just went with his baring extinct instead of ever questioning his own self. Multiple people died under his reign and after his wife couldn’t bear a child he left the woman he was supposed to “love” and rather married again just to have kids so someone, probably preferably his own kin to take over after his death, because he couldn’t handle the thought of someone else taking his spot let alone someone not of blood. On top of all of this Napoleon had a revolution happen under him, which in itself shows that one’s people aren’t happy under the current conditions. This is why Napoleon isn’t a French hero.  

Dain

Kohlton - Rousseau & Locke

The Age of Enlightenment was a great time of philosophers that brought many great ideas to the world. The most influential and important philosophers of the time were John Locke and Jean Rousseau. Rousseau was raised in a poor family so he had a perspective on the world that not many other philosophers had at the time. Locke grew up during the glorious revolution which showed him the good side of humanity. At the core of their beliefs they thought that humans were good, and can cooperate with each other. They also shared views on government and thought it was necessary but shouldn’t have total power over the people they ruled. Locke and Rousseau had the most accurate opinions on human nature and government out of the enlightened philosophers.

Emily - Hobbes

The English civil war was a battle which lasted 7 years between the parliament and the royalists of England. This was a big part in Thomas Hobbes ( 1588-1679) life, for this affected his views on society and government majorly. He thought that people were greedy and violent and not capable of governing themselves.  I believe Hobbes is the best philosopher because he has the most reason and I think without absolute power.

Hobbes grew up in England and had his father abandon him, his mother, older brother and younger sister when Hobbes was at a very young age. Hobbes was educated Westport church, the, Malmesbury school and then he went to a private school. In about 1603 he went to Magdalen Hall, which is basically Hertford College, Oxford. The principal at the institution l John Wilkinson was a Puritan, a group of English Protestants who became a major political force in England and received power because of the Civil war, and he had some influence on Hobbes and his views.

Hobbes had two huge aspects to his picture of human nature: what motivates human beings to act is very important to him. The other aspect concerns human powers of judgment and reasoning, in which Hobbes was very iffy about. He wanted to see the worst in people and he tried to back it up with science and a lot of personal belief based of his own experiences. Hobbes had many reasons for thinking that human judgment was undependable, and needed to be guided by science. Human judgment is often centered around that persons own benefit at the particular moment.

Weston - Locke

The Enlightenment was a time of great philosophers who had different ideas for society and government. John Locke was the best philosopher because of how his ideas about society impacted future generations and governments. Locke thought government should establish order in society. John Locke was the best philosopher because he believed in a government that would maintain order in a society of reasonable people.

J.J. Rousseau

The enlightenment was a period of constant questioning of society and government. The people often questioning these concepts were deemed philosophers and had an impact on how the public seen everyday life and lived their life. Philosopher’s views were shaped by the time period in which they lived through, events that had affected them in that time period and often times the class of family they belonged to. One popular philosopher of the enlightenment period was JJ Rousseau, whose views changed the way people saw society and their ways of live.

John Locke-Connor

John Locke was born in England on august 29^th 1932 and died 0ctober 28^th 1704. John Locke lived through the glorious revolution which took place in 1688-1689.  This influenced his views on government. These views said that everyone had natural rights and no one had the divine right to rule. Locke believed that humans were good and cooperative. I believe that Locke was the best Philosopher of his time and helped shape our government. Locke lived through and important time of our history and understood humans and there rights.

John Locke- Bryden

The Glorious Revolution played a significant role in John Locke’s life. The Glorious Revolution took place from 1688 to1689 which helped John Locke shape his views on society and government. John Locke was born in 1632 and died in 1704. Locke believed humans were basically good and cooperative. Locke argued that the only purpose of the government would be to serve the people and meet their needs. Locke remains one of the best philosophers because his views have impacted today’s society and government.

Thomas Hobbes - Kacey

        Many philosophers shaped the Age of Reason into what it was. One of those was English philosopher Thomas Hobbes who grew up during the English Civil War. Hobbes viewed people at their worst during this time. Because of this he said that people needed an absolute power to rule over them. Thomas Hobbes had the best views because he based them off how people truly are: savage, dark, and greedy.

Francois-Marie Arouet- Cassidy

Francois- Marie Arouet, or known as Voltaire. He was one of many philosophers in his time. Voltaire came from a middle class family then when he passed away he was a millionaire with his books and his past.  He was the greatest because he believed in for what was right and tried to make it happen. He did not believe in democracy. He had a bad past but he fought for what he thought was right. Francois- Marie Arouet thought that everyone should be treated equally, even women, it shouldn’t matter what class they are in. Voltaire is the best philosopher because he stood up to what he believed in and did not change his mind and he thought that everyone, even women should be treated right within a society.

Voltaire- By Dain

           The late 1500’s to the late 1700’s were an age of reason allowing lots of different people from different time periods and locations to share their opinions on human nature to ideas on how the government should operate. François-Marie Arouet commonly known as Voltaire was amongst the best philosophers and his words and knowledge is portrayed in today’s generation and will still apply for a long time after. Voltaire was the best philosopher, because he put others in front of him and pointed out evil along with a solution on how to fix it.

         Voltaire lived between 1664-1778 and was born in France to a middle-class family. He lived in a time of science, logic and reasoning along with other philosophers, because of his background his views shined through more than others. Because of him growing up in middle-class it was easy for him to see problems from rich to poor people without being bias. He saw all the people’s problems as one, no matter where they or their family originated and how their class in society. Voltaire praised others work such as Locke and Newton. He was known for his plays and novels and passed away in 1778 at the age of 83. With the combined logic of other philosophers, Voltaire had the best ideas on the world and everything in it such as human nature and society.

         Voltaire argued for an ignorant free society full of freedom, equality and people aware of what’s going on around them. Voltaire argued for free religion, freedom of thought even if he didn’t believe in someone’s god he still stood for them. He is credited for saying “I do not agree with what you say, but I will fight till death, the right for you to say it”. He was the least arrogant and instead of defending only him and defended all people and it really showed what type of person he was. His thoughts on humans were accurate, but his thoughts on government were precise.

           Voltaire fought for the people has a whole. He thought the best ruler was an enlightened monarch, which basically means someone who is educated on government. It seems self-explanatory, but still lots of people never came to grips with that idea and it wasn't brought up until Voltaire.
This idea was brought to light, because he also believed people could not govern themselves. Lots of his ideas were revolved around Locke’s such as being able to rebel against the leader if he was a tyrant. He took the best from many other philosophers and accepted their ideas showing once again, he was open and ignorant free, just like the way he wanted to see society.

          Voltaire and his thoughts were the most realistic surrounding people and government. Using his position and place he made his own thoughts and shared them amongst people which allowed us to seething from a middle man. Voltaire may be dead now, but his words and suggestions live on forever.

A witty saying proves nothing.
-Voltaire

The Story of John Locke-Parker Auchstaetter

The Enlightenment was a time of frequent question of society and government. John Locke was a free willed philosopher that was a doctor, and a scientist. John Locke lived through the Glorious Revolution. Locke believed that people had natural rights. Locke also saw Government as a contract of rulers and people being ruled. John Locke was the best philosopher who believed in a fair government that would protect the natural rights of his people.

John Locke was a philosopher that lived through the Glorious Revolution. The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder (medieval function, which during the 16^th-18th centuries developed into a rare type of de facto hereditary head of state of the thus crowned republic of the Netherlands.) and William III of Orange-Nassau. John Locke also was a doctor and a scientist that did not believe in the Devine Right of Kings. He wrote a book that was called Two Treatises on Government. Since John Locke lived through the Glorious Revolution his ideas would be reasonable.

           

 John Locke lived through the Glorious Revolution, which had an impact in his views for society. The Glorious Revolution was the beginning of a time where everyone lived peacefully in a state of nature. Government should protect that people have natural rights like life, liberty, and happiness. A social contract protected their rights; the people could rebel if the

government disobeyed the contract. Since John Locke saw society as reasonable and cooperative but a contract would be successful.

             Locke saw that people didn’t need rules or restrictions. Locke thought that the purpose of government was to establish order in society. He saw government as a contract between rulers and the ruled. He said that rulers can stay in power as long as they have the consent of the people. People can rebel if the ruler is a tyrant or if he breaks the contract. Laws that limit what people can do should be made if it will protect them from something.

           

John Locke was in my opinion the best and I think he had the most views that we have this present day. He lived through the Glorious Revolution, so he has seen humans and society through one of the most peaceful times in English history. He said “It is a very difficult to be human without a society to teach on how to be human.” He thought that people could be peaceful on their own and didn’t need government to make rules and make everything difficult for the people who had a peaceful none worry life before government. 

Eric: John Locke

The Glorious Revolution played a vital role in creating John Locke’s views.  John Locke had the best views on the government and society of all the philosophers during the enlightenment.  Living through the most peaceful revolution helped Locke to believe humans were cooperative and reasonable.  Lastly, he believed in a government that worked with the consent of the people.  John Locke was the most accurate and influential philosopher known to man during the enlightenment.

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