Answer :
Final answer:
The Enlightenment led many Europeans to believe they could improve their government by moving away from the divine right and absolute rule, embracing ideas of constitutional governments and the protection of individual rights.
Explanation:
Following the Enlightenment, many Europeans began to believe people could improve their government. This period marked a significant shift in thought, where previously, the divine right and absolute rule of monarchs were widely accepted. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau brought forth ideas that challenged these old beliefs, suggesting that governments should be based on the will and rights of the people rather than divine right. Specifically, Locke emphasized that if a government did not protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, people had the right to change it. Option b is correct .
In France, the Enlightenment reached its peak, with thinkers like Montesquieu advocating for a constitutional monarchy, where power was balanced between the monarch and a parliament. This period saw the rise of concepts like liberty, equality, and fraternity, and these ideals were echoed in the slogans of the French Revolution. These Enlightenment ideas not only took hold in Europe but also spread across the Atlantic, influencing the American Revolution and the formation of the United States' government based on democratic principles.
The Enlightenment, therefore, catalyzed a gradual move away from absolutist monarchies towards constitutional governments and republics, fueled by the recognition of individual rights and the concept of government by the consent of the governed. These ideas paved the way for modern democracies and had a profound impact on the political landscapes of Europe and the Americas.
Final answer:
Europeans influenced by the Enlightenment began to think that they could improve their governments by embracing the ideals of natural rights and questioning the divine right of kings, leading to the support of constitutional governments and republics.
Explanation:
Following the Enlightenment, many Europeans began to believe people could improve their government (option b). This intellectual movement was characterized by the spread of ideas that emphasized reason, natural rights, and the questioning of traditional authority. Thinkers like John Locke promoted the idea that governments should protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, and that people had the right to alter or overthrow a government that failed to do so. The divine right of kings was increasingly challenged, leading to the development of theories supporting constitutional monarchies and republics. The Enlightenment sparked discussions on the importance of a government that derived its legitimacy from the consent of the governed, which would eventually influence major political revolutions such as the American and French revolutions.