How did Enlightenment ideas influence the development of democracy?

How did Enlightenment ideas influence the development of democracy?

The Enlightenment brought political modernization to the west, in terms of focusing on democratic values and institutions and the creation of modern, liberal democracies. Enlightenment thinkers sought to curtail the political power of organized religion, and thereby prevent another age of intolerant religious war.

How did the Enlightenment influence the development of the American political system?

The Enlightenment beliefs that influenced the American Revolution were natural rights, the social contract, and the right to overthrow the government if the social contract was violated. As stated before, without the Enlightenment there would not have been a revolution, resulting in no American Government.

How did Enlightenment ideas helped influence the expansion of popular sovereignty?

In turn, the Enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality, and justice helped to create the conditions for the American Revolution and the subsequent Constitution. Democracy was not created in a heartbeat. In a world where people were ruled by monarchs from above, the idea of self-government is entirely alien.

How might the ideas of the Enlightenment fuel political revolutions?

Some of the leaders of the American Revolution were influenced by Enlightenment ideas which are, freedom of speech, equality, freedom of press, and religious tolerance. American colonists did not have these rights, in result, they rebelled against England for independence.

What Enlightenment thinker thought the best system of government was a direct democracy?

Rousseau argued that the general will of the people could not be decided by elected representatives. He believed in a direct democracy in which everyone voted to express the general will and to make the laws of the land.

Which Enlightenment idea do you think contributed most to the democratic revolutions in America and France Why?

I believe that Locke’s idea of natural rights contributed to the democratic revolutions in America the most because what the American people wanted the most was liberty. It was blatantly stated in Locke’s idea of natural rights, that all human beings had, by nature, the right to life, liberty, and property.

Which Enlightenment thinker had the most influence on American government?

The single most important influence that shaped the founding of the United States comes from John Locke, a 17th century Englishman who redefined the nature of government.

How was the Enlightenment idea of popular sovereignty?

Popular Sovereignty is a political term that simply means that the “people are the rulers.” This term is usually used in reference to political issues that are settled by popular vote or to governments based on the concept of democracy. The concept of popular sovereignty manifested itself during the Enlightenment.

How did the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers lead to?

“Indeed the world is ruled by little else.” Enlightenment philosophy and economic theory had a particularly direct influence on the establishment of democratic government, because several of the Founding Fathers of the United States were quite well-versed in what was at that time absolutely state-of-the-art thought.

How did the Enlightenment affect the American Revolution?

The Enlightenment had an enormous influence on democratic thinking. Many historians regard the French Revolution and the American Revolution as the direct product of Enlightenment thinking.

How did the Enlightenment system hold government accountable to the people?

The system holds the authorities accountable to the people and is an implementation of the Enlightenment theory that governments should exist only by the will of the governed. It is difficult to imagine a world without scientific methods and thought, which are all in thanks in part to the Enlightenment.

How did the Enlightenment change life in Europe?

European civilization had already experienced the Renaissance (1300-1600) and the Scientific Revolution (1550-1700). The Enlightenment further transformed intellectual and political life based on the application of science to dramatically alter traditional beliefs and practices.