Final answer:
Enlightenment thinkers feared the consequences of religious intolerance and its tie to conflict, promoting the separation of church and state, new political theories, and the expansion of individual rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment thinkers were primarily concerned with the issues of religious intolerance and its consequences on society. These thinkers advocated for detaching political power from organized religion to avoid wars motivated by religious conflict. They introduced concepts like Deism and atheism, and philosophers like Voltaire emphasized the need for moral order in society, not solely based on fear of divine punishment.
Additionally, the Enlightenment period was marked by the rise of new political and social theories, such as those of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who advanced the social contract theory advocating for the protection of individual rights.
The era was deeply transformative, characterized by debates over natural rights, political upheavals driven by the growing demand for democracy, and the critical questioning of traditional hierarchies like the nobility and the church.
The fear of Enlightenment thinkers was not about rapid technological advancements, economic depression, or political revolutions per se, but rather the power structures and potential oppressiveness tied to these developments.