Many people in 18th-century Europe believed print culture would bring enlightenment and end despotism because they saw it as a force for reason and liberation. Thinkers like Louise-Sebastien Mercier believed that books were a powerful weapon against ignorance and tyranny. They argued that the spread of printed knowledge would enlighten the masses, allowing people to think for themselves and question blind faith in rulers and the Church. They were convinced that as reason and critical thinking spread through reading, the basis of despotic rule, which relies on ignorance and submission, would crumble. In essence, they believed that a well-informed public would not tolerate tyranny, and therefore, "the tyrant will tremble before the virtual writer."