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Following the Scientific Revolution came the Age of Enlightenment throughout France and Europe. During the seventeenth century philosophers and early economists shared the principle of exchanging ideas in order to reform and modernize Europe. This was a time of intellectual change as well as economic and political transformations. During the eighteenth century and into the nineteenth century came a more physical revolution, the Industrial Revolution which took place mainly in Great Britain. The economic and social structure changed drastically due to technological advances at this time and because of the economic framework laid by early economists during the Enlightenment. The basis of economic thought during the Enlightenment led to the inventions during the Industrial Revolution because of their similarities of necessary reform, improvement, and their differences in mechanical/technical innovations versus economic and intellectual thought.
The Enlightenment thinkers were centered around using reason and rationality to explain the world and human society. The age of Enlightenment was not just a way of thinking, it was its own culture. Based on “practical improvement, a belief in social progress, and the recognition that useful knowledge was the key to their realization”. These intellectuals and early philosophers were convinced that they were able to discover all the natural laws, that governed politics, economics, justice, religion, and the arts.
Like the inventors during the Industrial Revolution, innovation and reform were the main goals of the Enlightenment thinkers and early economists. Early philosophers focused more on the ideology of man and social reform in order to improve and change western civilization. Just like the inventors of the eighteenth century they shared a common goal to improve European civilization and ultimately change the world for the better. Of course, society relies on politics and rights of man, a large portion relies on economics to keep the nation running smoothly.
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During the age of Enlightenment there was a group of mostly French economists who all believed change was necessary in order to improve the nation. Led by François Quesnay, the physiocrats claimed that they would discover the natural economic laws that governed society.2 Their beliefs were rooted in agriculture, trade, and land rent. The physiocrats stated land rent was a fundamental source of economic surplus.3 The Industrial revolution was made possible due to the framework of economic thought by philosophers and economists during the enlightenment age.
The Enlightenment thinkers believed they discovered the new “science of man” or what is known today as the social sciences. These thinkers of the Enlightenment laid the foundations of many modern sciences including one of the most important, the economy. The economic thought of the Enlightenment started out as a group of French economists, known as the physiocrats. Their focus was to change economic policies in order to improve European society and ultimately reshape the world’s economy and trade. To promote this type of drastic change, one must first disagree with the rigid standards and practices that are in place.
François Quesnay was the Leader of the Physiocrats
Following the dramatic reform and change of France’s political structure during the French Revolution came a slow and less dramatic revolution. The Industrial Revolution slowly progressed during the late eighteenth century and into the early nineteenth century. This revolution transformed the social and economic structure of many European nation. The Industrial Revolution is closely associated with the revolution in agricultural production because due to the dramatic improvements in technology, farmers were able to maximize land use and overall farm productivity. Prior to the Industrial Revolution during the enlightenment age a group of French economists, the physiocrats beliefs were rooted in agriculture, trade, and land rent. The physiocrats stated land rent was a fundamental source of economic surplus. The Industrial revolution was made possible due to the framework of economic thought by philosophers and economists during the enlightenment age.
