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Question by Dani: How did Enlightenment ideas about religion and society shape the policies of the French Revolution?
How and to what extent did Enlightenment ideas about religion and society shape the policies of the French Revolution in the period 1789 to 1799?

Best answer:

Answer by missekm
Religion: The Enlightenment thinkers became skeptical of the Catholic Church. They believed that the explanations given by the Church (on various topics) did not mirror reality and were therefore untrue. They still believed in God, but they did not support Church practices.
Society: The Enlightenment thinkers believed that despotism was the worst possible form of government. Therefore, they were not supportive of King Louis XVI. They thought that, as God had created perfect society, human society was created in much the same way. However, they believed that various influences on society had caused it to differ from what it was created to be.

These two factors were very important to the French Revolution. Many Enlightenment thinkers knew each other and frequented various salons where thoughts were exchanged and other philosophers’ works were studied. In this way, the thoughts of the Enlightenment thinkers spread throughout France and added to the air of discontent in the country.
These ideas were circulating around more educated, more wealthy circles. These also happened to be the same people who created the new policies in Revolutionary France, so it is not surprising that they helped to shape new policies.

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