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Difficulty: MediumEnlightenment Thought and Social Contract Theories

Denis Diderot, French philosopher, *Encyclopédie*, 1751

"No man has received from nature the right to command others. Liberty is a gift from heaven, and every individual of the same species has the right to enjoy it as soon as he enjoys the use of reason. If nature has established any authority, it is paternal power; but paternal power has its limits... Any other authority comes from another origin than nature. If we examine it closely, we will always find it goes back to one of these two sources: either the strength and violence of him who has seized it, or the consent of those who have submitted to it by a contract, represented or understood, between them and the one upon whom they have conferred authority."

Which of the following political developments in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was most directly inspired by the ideas expressed in the passage?

  1. A
    The expansion of mercantilist systems to maximize state wealth through the absolute regulation of colonial trade.
  2. B
    The development of Social Darwinist ideologies to justify imperial expansion over non-European populations.
  3. The drafting of constitutional declarations that asserted popular sovereignty and limited the authority of monarchs.Answer
  4. D
    The direct collaboration of American and French revolutionaries to establish identical political and social structures.

Answer

The correct option describes the drafting of constitutional declarations that asserted popular sovereignty and limited the authority of monarchs.
The passage by Denis Diderot argues that no individual has a natural right to rule over others, and that legitimate authority must arise from the consent of the governed through a social contract. This idea directly inspired late-eighteenth-century political changes, such as the French and American revolutions, which produced constitutions and declarations establishing popular sovereignty and restricting the traditional, uncontracted power of absolute monarchs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage to identify its core philosophical argument.
The author argues that political authority cannot be derived from nature or force, but must come from the 'consent of those who have submitted to it by a contract.'
This establishes that the passage is discussing the Enlightenment concept of the social contract and popular sovereignty.
2
Evaluate the historical developments of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to find a connection to this concept.
The American and French revolutions utilized these social contract ideas to challenge monarchical authority and draft constitutions.
This aligns the philosophical text directly with its historical application in revolutionary state-building.
3
Differentiate between the correct answer and the distractors.
The correct answer accurately links the text to constitutionalism and popular sovereignty, while the distractors refer to unrelated economic policies, chronologically incorrect theories, or historical misconceptions about revolutionary uniformity.
This ensures the final choice is supported by historical evidence and aligns with the stimulus's message.

Key Concept

Enlightenment Thought and Social Contract Theories
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Enlightenment Thought and Social Contract Theories

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