Answer :
Final answer:
After the Enlightenment, many Europeans began to embrace the idea that they could improve their government rather than support absolute monarchy or divine right. Enlightenment thinkers encouraged this belief, leading some rulers to adopt reforms in line with these ideas. Overall, these changes signified a major shift toward the notion of popular sovereignty and governance based on reason.
Explanation:
Post-Enlightenment Political Shifts in Europe
Following the Enlightenment, a significant transformation occurred in European thought regarding governance. This intellectual movement facilitated a move away from absolute rule and divine right, encouraging the idea that people could improve their government through reason and rational governance.
The Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke and Rousseau, challenged the traditional notions of monarchy, arguing that government should be based on the consent of the governed. Locke's perspective on natural rights emphasized that governments exist to protect the rights of individuals, leading to a widespread belief in reform.
Emergence of Enlightened Despots
Though many monarchs were initially resistant to change, some rulers like Frederick II of Prussia, Joseph II of Austria, and Catherine II of Russia recognized the potential benefits of adopting Enlightenment ideas. They implemented various reforms to align their rule with the principles of rational governance, promoting education and legal equality, which further propagated the belief in governmental improvement.
Thus, the Enlightenment instilled a sense of hope among the populace that their involvement and reason could lead to a better form of government, pushing the idea that sovereignty belongs to the people rather than to an absolute monarch.
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