Which founding concept emphasized by Enlightenment thinkers influenced later revolutions?

• A. Natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
• B. Divine right of kings.
• C. Mercantilist trade restrictions.
• D. Absolute monarchy as ideal.

Answer: (A)

Belief in inherent, universal rights that governments are created to protect is the central idea behind this question. Enlightenment thinkers argued that life, liberty, and property are natural rights that belong to every person, and that a government's legitimacy comes from protecting those rights with the consent of the governed. When rulers violate those rights or rule without consent, people have a legitimate basis to resist or replace them. This perspective provided a powerful justification for revolutions, reframing political change as a defense of fundamental rights rather than a challenge to divine or hereditary authority. That’s why the natural rights of life, liberty, and property best captures the idea that Enlightenment thinkers used to influence later revolutions. By contrast, divine right of kings upholds monarchs’ authority as granted by God; mercantilist restrictions focus on economic policy; and absolute monarchy promotes centralized power without accountability—none of these align with the Enlightenment emphasis on rights and consent.