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The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and Candide In 1755, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Lisbon, Portugal, changing European history and philosophy. But how does one geologic event trigger a paradigm shift from naturalism to liberalism Naturalism unites with rationalism during the Age of Enlightenment, a philosophical movement during the 18th century, which rejects traditional social, religious and political ideas with an emphasis on rationalism. People believe in a world, which follows logical rules, where …

…much because during this time their paradigm consisted of God’s will. All things happen because of his mysterious ways and a simple man can not believe they can start to understand God’s mind. The two earthquakes did not make the same cultural impact because the mindsets of the people were different. It is amazing to see how one single geologic event, that is completely unavoidable, can change history and shift the cultural paradigm.