Question

How did the ideas of the Enlightenment influence the French people in the years leading up to the French Revolution?

A. Maximilien de Robespierre's Reign of Terror persuaded them to believe that killing the king was necessary to legitimize the government.
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract persuaded them to view practices like inherited privilege and absolute monarchy as irrational.
C. Napoléon Bonaparte's victory at Borodino persuaded them to believe that a powerful central ruler was necessary to stabilize the country.
D. Louis XVI's formation of the Estates General persuaded them to view the national debt and tax rates as the most important issues of the time.

Answer 1

The answer is B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract persuaded them to view practices like inherited privilege and absolute monarchy as irrational.

The Enlightenment ideas stated all people should be equal. The peasants who were poor (soon to be revolutionaries) loved this idea. Now considering the poor consisted of 97% of the population this was a great influence. That is why the answer is B, because it is the only one who states everyone not being created equal is irrational or unfair.

Hope this helped. Have a great night!

Answer 2

Correct answer: B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract persuaded them to view practices like inherited privilege and absolute monarchy as irrational.

Further detail:

Enlightenment thinkers promoted the idea of the rights of citizens and the people's authority to create--and to change--their own governments. The works of Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were read by leaders of the revolution movements in both America and France. The French Revolution sought to put those Enlightenment ideas into practice in creating a government based on the rights of man and of citizens. Rousseau had argued for the equality of all men and for a government based on the sovereignty of the people. Any ruling officer (like a monarch) was to be seen as a servant carrying out the will of the people, not a lord over the people. The people themselves were always to remain the supreme authority.