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The event that paved the way for Enlightenment ideas about reason and progress was
the Scientific Revolution, which occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries in
Europe. The Scientific Revolution was a period of significant advancements in
science, mathematics, and philosophy, which challenged traditional beliefs and laid
the foundation for modern scientific inquiry.
Enlightenment Thinkers:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau developed the concept of the "general will" that influenced
the French Revolution. Rousseau argued that the true will of a society as a whole,
expressed through collective decision-making, was superior to individual interests
and should guide the governance of a state.
John Locke is known for his social contract theory and the idea that people have
natural rights that governments must protect. Locke argued that governments exist
to protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, and that if a
government fails to fulfill this duty, the people have the right to rebel and
establish a new government.
Enlightenment ideas that challenged the traditional authority of the Church and the
monarchy included the emphasis on reason, evidence, and empirical observation as
the basis for knowledge, which challenged the authority of religious dogma and the
divine right of monarchs. The concept of individual rights, such as freedom of
speech and religion, also challenged the authority of the Church in controlling
thought and belief. Furthermore, the idea of the social contract, which emphasized
that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed,
challenged the divine authority of monarchs.
Religion:
The rise of Deism during the Enlightenment challenged traditional religious beliefs
in several ways. Deism was a philosophical and theological movement that emerged
during the Enlightenment, which advocated for a rational and naturalistic
understanding of religion. Deists believed in the existence of a distant and
impersonal God, who created the universe but did not actively intervene in its
affairs. This challenged traditional religious beliefs that emphasized divine
revelation, miracles, and the authority of religious institutions.