Question

What would an investigation into the cultural impacts of the enlightenment conclude?(1 point) responses it would conclude that traditional ideas were favored over empirical observations. it would conclude that traditional ideas were favored over empirical observations. it would conclude that the enlightenment led to the rise of new political structures and governments. it would conclude that the enlightenment led to the rise of new political structures and governments. it would conclude that the enlightenment increased the authority of the catholic church. it would conclude that the enlightenment increased the authority of the catholic church. it would conclude that the power of monarchs was expanded.

Answer 1

An examination of the cultural impacts of the Enlightenment would show that it catalyzed social and political change by undermining traditional authorities and promoting rational, secular governance. It led to questioning of religious dominance, the weakening of monarchies, and the rise of new democratic forms of government.

Step-by-step explanation:

An investigation into the cultural impacts of the Enlightenment would conclude that this intellectual movement led to significant changes in societies, primarily through its challenge to traditional authority and its advocacy for reform in political and religious institutions. The Enlightenment advanced ideas that greatly influenced the development of new political structures and governments, moving away from absolute monarchies towards ideas of constitutionalism, republicanism, and the social contract. Enlightenment thinkers stressed the importance of reason, empiricism, and progress, leading to a decline in the influence of religion and the questioning of the ruling classes.

The period sparked a transformation in how individuals and societies viewed authority and governance. Critics of the era's established norms, like John Locke, disputed the divine right of kings and instead proposed that government should protect natural rights, leading to the notion that people had the right to change an unjust government. This led to the rise of constitutional monarchies, diminishing the absolute power of monarchs, and inspired various revolutions, including the American and French Revolutions, which established new forms of democratic governance.

Furthermore, the Enlightenment questioned the dominance of the Catholic Church and instead promoted religious tolerance and the separation of church and state. The emphasis on scientific inquiry and rationalism displaced many superstitious and metaphysical explanations of the world. Cultural shifts included a decline in religious authority and shifts toward secularism and deism, although atheism was less openly embraced. The intellectual rigor and demand for evidence and rational argumentation also laid the foundations for modern sciences and philosophy.