LITR 675 History of the Essay

Write an essay on one of the prompts beiow: 

 

1. "Although Hobbes and Locke seem to argue for radically different forms of government, when compared to the divine right absolutism advocated by Bossuet, they are in fact more similar than different: Do you agree with this quotation? Why would the author make this claim? Do these similarities outweigh the differences, particularly in the context of the seventeenth century? (hint: your answer to this question is your overall thesis) 

 

2. The Enlightenment was a major development of the spreading of human rights, liberty and freedom. It was during this period that humanity gained the possibility for the spreading of universal liberty and individual human freedom.' Discuss this statement. Why have some historians made this argument? Were there Enlightenment voices that opposed this view? Considering the contemporary existence of the Atlantic slave trade and the condition of women in the Eighteenth Century, do you think this statement is true? (hint: the answer to this last question is your overall thesis) 

 

3. It has been said that the main ideals of the French Revolution can be summarized by the revolutionary slogan, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!" What did this slogan mean in 1789 (during the liberal phase of the Revolution)? Would Robespierre in 1793 (during the radical phase) agree with this meaning, and if not, why? Which definition of the slogan do you think best exemplifies the values and meaning of the Revolution as a whole? (hint: the answer to this last question is your overall thesis). Be sure provide specific examples of policies, statements, and events to support your definitions of the slogan.