European philosophers and their ideas about government deeply influenced American colonists. During the late 1600s and 1700s, Europe experienced a major intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment. During the Enlightenment, Europeans challenged the rule of leaders who claimed to have power because of divine right, or by God-given authority, and began to consider different ideas about what makes government legitimate.

Question

European philosophers and their ideas about government deeply influenced American colonists. During the late 1600s and 1700s, Europe experienced a major intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment. During the Enlightenment, Europeans challenged the rule of leaders who claimed to have power because of divine right, or by God-given authority, and began to consider different ideas about what makes government legitimate.
How might the Enlightment period have changed the way people thought about government?

GPT 3.5 · Answer

The Enlightenment period brought about a fundamental shift in the way people thought about government. Instead of blindly accepting the divine right of kings or absolute monarchies, Enlightenment thinkers emphasized the importance of reason, logic, and individual rights.

One of the key ideas that emerged during the Enlightenment was the concept of natural rights. Thinkers such as John Locke argued that individuals have inherent rights to life, liberty, and property, and that these rights should be protected by government. This challenged the notion that rulers derived their authority solely from God and suggested that governments existed to serve and protect the rights of the people.

Furthermore, Enlightenment thinkers questioned the concentration of power in the hands of a few and advocated for the separation of powers to protect against tyranny. The French philosopher Montesquieu popularized the idea of dividing governmental power into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, ensuring a system of checks and balances.

The Enlightenment also fostered the idea of social contract theory, which argued that governments should be founded on the consent of the governed. According to this theory, governments derive their authority from the people and exist to serve their best interests. This challenged the traditional belief that rulers were divinely ordained and highlighted the importance of citizen participation and representation.

Overall, the Enlightenment period influenced people to critically examine the nature of government, question traditional forms of authority, and advocate for individual rights, justice, and equality. These ideas greatly influenced the American colonists' perception of government and played a significant role in shaping the principles underpinning the American Revolution and the subsequent formation of the United States' democratic republic.