Answer :
Final answer:
The European Enlightenment and the French Revolution set the stage for Darwin and Wallace's work on evolution by promoting critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and questioning of established beliefs.
Explanation:
The European Enlightenment and the French Revolution played a significant role in setting the stage for Darwin and Wallace's work on evolution.
1. Influence of European Enlightenment:
The European Enlightenment, an intellectual and cultural movement in the 18th century, emphasized reason, rationality, and scientific inquiry. This spirit of questioning and challenging the traditional authority laid the foundation for scientific advancements.
2. Influence of the French Revolution:
The French Revolution, which occurred in the late 18th century, challenged the political and social order of the time. It promoted ideals such as equality, liberty, and human rights. These revolutionary ideas opened up new possibilities for questioning established beliefs and considering alternative explanations for the origins of life.
3. Impact on Darwin and Wallace:
The Enlightenment and the French Revolution created an intellectual environment that encouraged critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and a questioning of existing norms. Darwin and Wallace were influenced by these ideas and applied them to their research on evolution. They questioned the traditional religious view of creation and developed the theory of natural selection, which explained how species evolve over time.