Week 3 - Alvin Du

Colbert's liberal approaches towards government reorganization seem very contradictory since his efforts led to the end of outdated feudal rights and privileges, but at the same time his administration represents an authoritarian system. I would imagine that his approaches were highly favored by officials and merchants, but not as much by the masses. The fact that most of Colbert's policies were not original makes me wonder how others before him attempted to implement these policies and why their efforts were ineffective. I'm not sure how an absolute monarchy addresses the problem of religious difference since people will still hold on to the word of their god or higher deity regardless of having a King in rule. Colbert's reforms are describes based on collectivism and individualism. There seems to be emphasis on the achievements of the individual and not just efforts that benefit the nation as a whole. I can admire Colbert's emphasis on fine arts to preserve French artwork, styles, and keep them evolving. There seems to be not as much of an emphasis of the Academy of Sciences in 1666, but there was effort. I think that Colbert's contributes to France's national aesthetic by implementing reforms that shape the society into what it is today. France is not defined by just its food or its fashion, but by its political influence and government structure. Getting to this point has not been an easy feat and took longer anticipated but Colbert successfully carried out his administration.

Colbert and Governmental Control of Industry in Seventeenth Century France. (n.d.). The MIT Press. Retrieved February 4, 2019.