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In his treatise ‘Social Contract’ Rousseau expounded a theory according to
which the state must be expressed in an equal and voluntary agreement among the
people. The rulers who violated the terms of contract, badly protected the natural
rights of citizens were to leave the throne by the will of the people. The highest

authorities in the country were a common will, which pledged to obey every
citizen. The Enlightenment philosophers were convinced that the historical
progress was a process of eternal perfection. They made a huge contribution to

revolutionizing European society. ‘Social contract’ by Rousseau inspired M.
Robespierre and was usd as a justification of the revolutionary terror in 1793-1794.

3. Features of the Eastern Enlightenment
The theories of the Western Enlightenment gained a very fertile ground in
East Europe, particularly in Russia. Empress Catherine II undertook a number of

initiatives: it announced a competition for the best essay on the question of the
liberation of the peasants from serfdom, encouraged the development of press (first
Russian satirical magazine ‘sundries’ came under her direct supervision).
Catherine II strongly emphasized its intention to translate into practice the doctrine

of the popular European Enlightenment - the idea of the enlightened monarchy.
The Russian Empress corresponded with Voltaire and offered him help and shelter

and to print ‘Encyclopedia’ by Diderot when it was impossible in France. She
translated into Russian the Frence novel ‘Belisarius’ by JF Marmontel. In 1766
there was published the book ‘Regarding the means of achieving social welfare’,
and in 1783 there was issued a decree prohibiting the free transfer of peasants

throughout the Empire.
Despite these circumstances, the social elites of the Russian Empire were the
agents of educational ideas that largely determined the nature of the Russian

Enlightenment. Yes, the most painful problem of serfdom was investigated in the
light of the Enlightenment as a issue waking up the sense of responsibility of the
rulers. M. Novikov, D.Fonvizin strived to justify the nobility of noble men by their

deeds. The Enlightenment played a main role in the revitalization of public opinion
when shaping the smart, decent, noble and spiritual beauty of people (portraits of
D. Levitsky, F.Rokotov, V. Borovikovskiy).

The Russian Enlightenment discovered not only terrifying manifestations of
poverty, injustice, oppression of feudal rights, but also a kind of wisdom, purity
and spiritual greatness. As an area of the Enlightenment – sentimentality –
appealed not only to the enlightened mind but also to the peace of leading a life of

a simple person close to nature. In the story ‘Poor Liza’ M. Karamzin suggested
that excited feudals and peasants know how to love !
The fate of the Ukrainian culture in the XVIIIth century was contradictory.

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