How did the French use Enlightenment ideas to justify revolution?
- since consent to rule came from the people, the king could be overthrown when he violated his subjects' rights.
- the french stated that they had natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
- the government was no longer serving them as many starved, therefore, they believed their agreement with their ruler had been violated.
- they argued it was OK to break with one's government if citizens had been mistreated.
- Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau promoted the idea of social contracts and the need for a government to protect the rights of the people. The French used these ideas to argue that the monarchy had failed in its duty to protect their rights, justifying the need for revolution.
- The concept of popular sovereignty, or the idea that the authority of the government comes from the consent of the people, was also a key justification for revolution. The French believed that the king no longer had the authority to rule because he had lost the support of the people.
- The French also drew upon the Enlightenment belief in progress and the possibility of creating a more just and equitable society through revolution. They argued that the old order was corrupt and unjust, and that a new, enlightened society could be built in its place.