The French Revolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The French Revolution - Research Paper Example There has been, however, a lack of consensus about what led to the French revolution exactly. In same context, different historians have come with different theories that explain what really caused the revolution. Gorges Lefebvre, for an instance used his Marxist interpretation to explain the cause of the revolution. For him, the French revolution was rooted in the bourgeoisie rise (Burbeck 18-19). Another Marxist writer, Albert Mathiez, was of the notion that the French revolution stemmed from class conflict (Duvall 13-14). Majority of historians and students of the French revolution hold the notion that this insurrection was a bourgeois revolution, fueled by class conflict. For a long time, inequality reined supreme in France. In ancient French, the clergy and nobles led privileged lives. They were, for instance, exempt from paying tax on their incomes. â€Å"The taxes were mainly paid by the Third Estate.† 1 Third Estates consisted of artisans, peasants, professionals and m erchants. Political and economic inequalities also existed in France. Furthermore, despite the Third Estates paying their dues to the king and nobles, they were still required to pay dues to the church. Paying the dues to the church was seen as pointless obligation because people were coming to terms with the age of reason. The writers and poets of this time also played a critical role in sparking thought and dissatisfaction among the French people (Burbeck 18-19). Before the revolution, France was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. This bankruptcy was caused partly by the wars of Louis XIV and by the royal family spendthrift indulgence and that of his predecessors. Even the so, the 250 million dollars that America was lent to fight for their independence also contributed to the bankruptcy. France in 1789 in presumption was a supreme monarch, a progressively more disliked form of government at the time. In reality, the King’s ability to assume on his supreme powers was edge d by the equally disliked power and rights of the nobility and the clergy, the surviving scions of feudalism. The massive and growing population of French middle class, and a section of the nobles and working class, had embraced the ideology of equality and liberty of the majority of people. Similarly, philosophers and intellectuals like Voltaire, Turgot, and Didero influenced this type ideology. Little, however, is attributed to the theorists of Enlightenment. Additionally, the French had been influenced by the American Revolution, which portrayed that it was possible to implement Enlightenment ethics about the organization of the government. The French revolutionalists ganged up against the less democratic government (Orlando 121). Taxes rates in France were relatively high. Taxation was based on a mechanism that targeted internal tariffs that Balkanized some regions of France. This regional separation led to a slow economic growth. For instance, taxes like gabelle were taxed on f armers, whereupon the private collectors signed contracts for the collection of taxes. This mechanism led to unfair collection of taxes. Similarly, royal taxes were collected as mandatory labor. Furthermore, this method also exempted the clergy and nobles from paying taxes on their pay perquisites. The weight of the tax burden was placed on the shoulders of merchants, peasants, and business classes. These classes of people were denied government positions, causing insurrection (Tocqueville 111). For a century, the French monarch operated without

Summary of chapter 8 - business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary of chapter 8 - business ethics - Essay Example The contract provides the basic framework governing the reciprocal obligations between the employee and the firm. Underlying this reciprocal relationship are certain ethical issues: company loyalty and conflict of interest. a. Company loyalty is a long held concept. An employee is seen legally bound to be loyal to his/her employer, but extreme view argues that an employee-employer relationship, which is based on self-interest, does not qualify for loyalty, since loyalty is based on a relationship that warrants unconditional sacrifice: loyalty to loved ones or country. To view company loyalty as to safeguard and pursue the firm’s legitimate interest is morally acceptable, but not morally required. To other employees, company loyalty could be a consequence of group identification. b. Conflict of interest is another common problem confronted even by loyal employees, since basically employees and employers operate from different plane and perspective. This occurs when employees at any level have their own self-interest that collides with their job duties and as such could substantially provoke them to undermine their firm’s interest. Financial investments made by employees with the company’s suppliers, customers or distributors are one of the most common sources of conflict of interest. Many cases of this type had been brought to court and had been proven detrimental to the interest of the company. Companies have their own policy regarding this to define what is permissible and impermissible. Since such policy affects the financial well-being of all involved, this should be subjected to open and free negotiations making it acceptable to all. 2. Abuse of official position ranging from making subordinates take on tasks unrelated to the firm to the use of position for personal financial enhancement, privileges and advantage, always raises ethical questions, as this undermines employees’ obligations