Final answer:
The advances of the Scientific Revolution influenced Descartes and other Enlightenment thinkers to question traditional ideas and think about the world in new ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
The advances of the Scientific Revolution led Descartes and other Enlightenment thinkers to question traditional ideas and think about the world in new ways. The Scientific Revolution introduced the idea that the universe operated according to universal and unchanging laws, which influenced Descartes and others to apply this rational and empirical approach to other areas, including human institutions and nature.