Question

What did Enlightenment writers say that would inspire others to think differently about their society?

Answer 1

The Enlightenment influenced society in the areas of politics, philosophy, religion and the arts. Both the American Revolution and French Revolution were based on Enlightenment ideals.

Answer 2

The Enlightment writers fought for the rights of citizens and against the social and economical mechanisms of the Ancient Regime and the feudalism.

On the first hand, they established the fight for Reason and for the scientific methods as the ways to build knowledge hence, breaking with dogmatic beliefs, superstitions or extreme religious ideas.

It is important to highlight as well the ideas developed by Rousseau in his work The social contract, were he appointed that the citizens should be the ones legitimized to grant the power to the rulers of a state through suffrage. Therefore he supported popular sovereignty and suffrage. This sharply contradicted the absolute monarchy system that was the status quo in most European countries when the Enlightment ideas emerged .

Also, the idea of the division of powers was developed by Montesquieu. He stated that 3 branches of powers should be created in the goverment of each states: legislative, executive and judiciary, together with a system that prevents any of them from gathering too much power and ending up overruling the others.

Finally, the Enlighment claimed for basic human and civil rights: suffrage, freedom of speech, freedom of association, private property, etc. The first right declaration were written based on these ideas.