Which action by leaders of the French Revolution demonstrates Enlightenment influence?

• A. They called for the fall of the absolute monarchy
• B. They encouraged the conquests of Napoleon
• C. They fought to maintain France's colonial empire
• D. They supported the combination of church and state

Answer: (A)

Enlightenment ideas promoted rational government, individual rights, and the belief that political power should derive from the people rather than from a monarch’s divine authority. When leaders of the French Revolution called for the fall of the absolute monarchy, they were putting those ideas into practice by challenging concentrated, unchecked power and pushing for a government based on consent, law, and equal rights. This reflects the influence of philosophers who argued against absolute rule and toward reforms that protect liberty and civic equality, as seen in documents like the rights-based declarations that followed. The other options steer away from this trajectory: conquests and imperial aims show a focus on expansion rather than principled political reform; retaining a colonial empire preserves old hierarchies; and aligning church with state would resist the secular, rights-centered approach emphasized by Enlightenment thinking.