Final answer:
The Declaration of the Rights of Man had the purpose of promoting equality and human rights, grounded on Enlightenment philosophies advocating for reason and civil liberties. It proposed that government power comes from the people and that natural rights are paramount, challenging the divine right of kings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of The Declaration of the Rights of Man was C. To promote equality and human rights. It was a foundational document of the French Revolution that outlined the national recognition of civil liberties and the inherent rights of all male citizens. This declaration took inspiration from Enlightenment ideas, such as those from John Locke, who emphasized natural rights and the importance of government being established for the protection and service of these rights. Equality before the law, freedom of expression, and the right to participate in the government were some of the core principles enshrined in the document.
The Declaration was heavily influenced by the philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment. Philosophers of this period, like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu, advocated for reason, individual liberty, a separation of powers, and a social contract between government and governed. These principles contended with the prevailing doctrine of the divine right of kings and informed the ideas around which the Declaration was built.
By explicitly stating that authority is derived from the people rather than divinely ordained, the Declaration marked a radical shift in the understanding of governance and provided a framework for a new societal order based on equality, citizenship, and inalienable rights, thus influencing subsequent revolutions and modern democratic governments.