17th–18th centuriesReputable sourceWell documented
The Enlightenment and the Consent of the Governed
On the timeline · around 17th–18th centuries · Liberty & Revolution
What happened
Enlightenment thinkers rethought the foundations of political power. John Locke argued that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed and exist to protect natural rights; Montesquieu championed the separation of powers; and Rousseau proclaimed popular sovereignty. Reason, not royal or divine right, should be the basis of the state.
Why it matters
The Enlightenment gave democracy its modern intellectual foundations — natural rights, government by consent, and the separation of powers — the very ideas that the American and French revolutionaries would soon put into practice.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. The Enlightenment · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Enlightenment → — The ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau