The Enlightenment in Europe during the 18th century led many people to question the old ways of the past and brought a demand for change. One of the most important changes was the view of monarchy rule that had dominated Europe since the fall of Rome. Between the years 1787 and 1791 the old systems were challenged in the form of the American Constitution, the French Constitution and the Polish Constitution.
All three constitutions were influenced by a variety of factors. Of all these factors, many would argue that the political philosophy or ideas brought on by the Enlightenment had the greatest influence on these documents. However, I would argue that geographic location had a larger influence than the enlightened political philosophy did in all three constitutions.
By the time the Polish Constitution was written in 1791, writings from the Enlightenment had long spread throughout Europe including to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Ideas taken from famous “philosophes” like Voltaire and Montesquieu are clearly evident in the constitution. One might argue that the political philosophy of the authors had the greatest influence because it is transparent and in fact shapes the document.
The first evidence of this is in the separation of power. Montesquieu advocated a checks and balances system in which no single part of a government had too much power. The Polish constitution created three branches of government: the Sejm (legislative) the King (executive) and the judicial branch. This is similar to the British system that Montesquieu so admired. Another form of evidence comes in a step towards ending oppression. Under the Polish Constitution, peasants were granted protection under “the law and the national government.” It also limited the le ...