What part did Enlightenment ideals play in the French Revolution? Supporters of the monarchy embraced the ideals of the Enlightenment and convinced the king to follow them. Revolutionaries opposed the ideals of the Enlightenment, which were seen as a means of keeping the king in power. Revolutionaries were motivated by Enlightenment ideals and used them to try to reform French society. Enlightenment ideals came from countries outside of France and therefore played no part in the French Revolution.