15.2 document

Lucianna Balica
2/2/16
World History 2


                     I read the document multiple times and to be honest I still don't really understand what it is trying to say or the general idea of it. I think the document is trying to say that without common knowledge of the world it will be in complete destruction.  In one part of the document it states, " destroyed prejudices, and reestablished human intelligence, which until then had been forced to bend down to false instructions instilled in it by absurd beliefs passed on to the children of each generation by the terrors of superstition and the fear of tyranny." This statement is saying that since the countries around the world have been ruled by kings and only kings, the people have no other choice but to believe what comes out of their mouths. It is also saying if they were more intelligent to begin with maybe it wouldn't of take so much time to teach them the knowledge that they still need to learn. But whether you didn't know the information before you shouldn't get judged for it. I don't understand, "they will understand that they cannot become conquerors without losing their liberty; that perpetual alliances are the only way to preserve independence ; and that they should seek their security , not power...." I am confused because in one paragraph it say that people don't know a lot of knowledge but then in another paragraph it says without conqueroring we will never understand power.....