Question

Print popularized the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers. They attacked the sacred

authority of the Church and the despotic powers of the state; thus, eroding thelegitimacy of a social order based on tradition. Voltaire and Rousseau were widelyreadwhat does this para mean??

Answer 1

By the innovations and improvements in the field of printing, books not only became cheaper but also reached a lot of people. This indirectly promoted literacy and reading. It also spread rational ideas and scientific thoughts. The rationalist writers like Rousseau and Voltaire questioned or challenged the reasons behind the supremacy of the Church and the royalty and nobles. These writers also attacked in their writings the autocratic rule of the Kings. When the writings of such writers as Voltaire and Rousseau became popular, it spread such ideas and added fuel to the French Revolution.

This is what the paragraph means.