1. Spontaneous Generation
One of the most persistent Enlightenment-era beliefs was spontaneous generation—the idea that life could spring from non-living matter. Many Europeans thought maggots simply appeared from decaying meat or that mice could be born from piles of grain and rags. While some skeptics questioned this theory, it wasn’t until Louis Pasteur’s experiments in the 19th century that spontaneous generation was finally disproven. Until then, the notion fascinated and puzzled even the most rational minds.
