| Conclusion |
Conservatism
- 1815 -> After Napoleon's era in Europe the traditional rulers in Europe were determined to protect themselves from future Napoleons. As defenders of the status quo, these people (rulers) attacked the reformist spirit of the philosophes - this was conservatism
- conservatism valued tradition over reason, hierarchy over equality, and the community over the individual.
- In the first half of the 19th century, Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria was the symbol of conservatism. "A bitter opponent of Jacobinism and Napoleon, Metternich, in the congress of Vienna, accused the Jacobins of subverting the pillars of civlization and Napoleon of destroying the traditional European state system"(Perry 145).
Liberalism
- The problem for these traditionalists was that the ideals of the French Revolution had been too deeply embedded in the consciousness of the people of Europe to be denied.
- One of the most powerful of these "isms" was liberalism - which aimed to secure the liberty and equality promised by the revolution.
- Liberalism was in contrast to conservatism which aspired to carry out the promise of the philosphes and the Revolution. Liberals sought for a constitution the would protect individual freedom and condemn censorship, arbitrary arrest, and other forms of repression. They believed that education and reasoning are necessary for the improvement of social conditions.
- Liberalism was also a sharp contrast to monarchism, as this view judged indiviuals on the basis of achievement, and not by birth or heredity.
- Overall, the liberals believed that freedom of thought and expression are the key to developing productive human beings and citizens if not restricted by governments and churches.
Nationalism
- Linked to liberalism was nationalism which promised to liberate subject peoples and to unify broken nations.
- Created during the Industrial Revolution, Nationalism "espoused the individual's allegiance to the national community"(Perry 148). It emphasized on the glory of the state over everything.
- Nationalism was an extremely powerful belief that creates the unification of people and creates people who is willing to sacrifice their lives for the nation.
- However, as time wears on, the current world state leads to degradation of nationalism. For example, consider the number of countries joining together in groups such as NATO, the UN, and the EU.
Socialism
- A third force emerging in the post Napoleonic era was Socialism. Upheld by the people in ghettos and workers in factories, Socialism was a reaction to problems created by the Industrial Revolution. It called for the creation of a new society based on cooperate on rather than capitalist competition.
- Socialism was introduced by Karl Marx in his work The Communist Manifesto, a book that called for the overthrow of capitalism and the creation of a socialist society. Marx called for a working-class revolution against capitalism and the making of a classless society.
- In the Industrial Revolution, this philosophy created hope for the hungry and the oppressed, mainly the working class and the peasant class.
- However, like Nationalism, Socialism is also beginning to disappear in today's world as the only remaining "socialist" country - China - is progressively changing to capitalism. The reason for this is because socialism does not motivate one to become better, a major factor of capitalism. This causes socialist countries to greatly lag behind capitalism or liberalism in technology and economy.
Romanticism
- Although romanticism is primarily a literary and artistic movement, it also impacted philosophical thought.
- The Romanticism Movement is a literary, musical and philosophical movement that began in the 18th century dominated life in the 19th century. It focused and stressed on the individual, the imaginary and the natural. It promoted the idea of emotions over reason and senses over intellect.
- See arts for complete definition.