Social Changes from Emancipation

The period of Emancipation in Europe in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries was a time of social and political change. Governments went from monarchies to a democratic, liberal and just states with a parliament where citizens could participate in making political decisions, the "Rechtsstaat". This process was slow and painful. The change from being a serf to becoming a citizen (in the sense of Immanuel Kant) (Perpetual Peace) was difficult, as people had lived in serfdom for millennia. Suddenly one had to learn to make political decisions oneself for the national good. As a result of this dilemma, people voted for whoever appeared to be the strong man. The outcomes were revolutions and dictatorships: Lenin, Hitler, Atatürk, Mussolini, Chiang Kai-shek, Franco, and others. The transition from despotism to democracy in the western world in the sense of a true Rechtsstaat is barely finished now. Aboriginal people in Australia got their vote only a few decades ago.

The main cause behind these changes was the industrial reform and resultant capitalism. Kings and emperors were no longer the richest people in their realms, and capitalism was able to control politics. This then changed the traditional craftsmen into "machines" to use Karl Marx's term. (Capital: An Abridged Edition (Oxford World's Classics))
Philosophers at that time attempted to solve the untenable breech between money and labour, and this then brought about the political changes with the introduction of a bureaucracy that had the responsibility to find a fair deal for all.

One could look at the changes that took place as follows, and I quote from my book (world without war: made possible by empowered individuals (Volume 1)):
"The ‘Gemeinschaft’ had become Tönnies’ ‘Gesellschaft’, translated as ‘society’, where people were less connected through ‘familiarity’ and were under the influence of Habermas’ ‘control media’ of administration and money, unless they were able to apply rational analysis. The development from the pre-reformation system of government into a social democracy could roughly be described as four ‘shifts’ towards legitimisation. Habermas (Reason and the Rationalization of Society (The Theory of Communicative Action, Vol. 1)}:
“The first shift led to the ‘citizens state’, which was developed in western Europe during the time of Absolutism and became the European ‘states system’. The second shift led to the ‚Rechtsstaat’ (constitutional state), which took on an exemplary format in Germany during the 19th century. The third shift led to the ‘democratic Rechtsstaat’, which spread throughout Europe and North America as a result of the French Revolution. The so far last shift ultimately led to the ‘social and democratic Rechtsstaat’, which was achieved in the battles of the European labour movement during the 20th century, and was, for example, promulgated in article 21 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Governments and their bureaucracies were hard pressed to understand the process of social and economic change, and looked to philosophers to clarify what was needed. As a consequence, everyone became a ‘philosopher’, with the result of their ‘trade’ getting into disrepute. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) was quite derogatory about those who believed that they could provide services as philosophers without the requisite training:
“Indeed, what we have seen develop of the philosophy of the newer times with the greatest pretension over the state, that it justifies every-one, who wishes to participate, to believe that they can do all that themselves, and as a result to give themselves the proof to have the power of philosophy.” (Hegel: Elements of the Philosophy of Right (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought))
Democratic governments, the successors to monarchies, were, and according to Noam Chomsky still are, influenced by the power of money and media, and administered the economy and defence often at the expense of immediate humanitarian matters. Education was usually given lip service by emphasising training to suit commerce rather than the development of the students’ social understanding. Education should provide subjects that teach rational analysis and reason as in the humanities, but even now, they are not prominent in curricula, while in reality training is preferred to satisfy the need for skills in manufacture."
What is important in our times now, is to realise that many countries of the third world and even the developing world are going through exactly the same changes of political turmoil as Europe did during the period of Emancipation. The sudden freedom to vote and contribute to decision making of a political nature is for the same reasons, Those countries can only be helped by education, not just job training, education that teaches local history and culture, and also the historical background to the troubles caused by emancipation elsewhere in the world. Don't let them make the same mistakes that had caused so much bloodshed in Europe.