Which of the following is not an idea from the Enlightenment?

• A. Kings ruled by divine right
• B. People have natural rights
• C. Problems can be solved by using reason
• D. Government should serve the people

Answer: (A)

The question tests whether a belief aligns with Enlightenment thinking or with older, pre-Enlightenment authority. Kings ruling by divine right is not an Enlightenment idea. The Enlightenment pushed back on the notion that rulers derive their power from God and are above scrutiny; instead, it emphasized that legitimate authority comes from reasons, laws, and the consent of the governed. Thinkers like Locke argued natural rights—life, liberty, property—and that government exists to protect those rights, with its authority rooted in the people’s consent. The idea that problems can be solved by reason, and that government should serve the people, reflect this rational, contract-based view of politics. So divine-right kingship isn’t part of Enlightenment thought, while the other statements are.