The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 was not only harmful for the physical damage done to the territory; but also harmful in the sense that it caused a plethora of philosophical and religious debates that shook, even as they ultimately shaped, the European Enlightenment. Despite this disaster; however, there were several new philosophical and scientific developments that had their roots in this earthquake. Nicholas Shrady provides an account of this disaster along with many details of the aftermath and rebuilding process of the city and Western civilization as a whole. On November 1, 1755, All Saints' Day, Lisbon suffered the most destructive natural disaster it had ever experienced. date. Almost all the citizens were attending mass when the disaster began. After the earthquakes, which alone caused extensive damage, Lisbon suffered 3 tsunamis and a fire that burned for 5 days. Combined, this earthquake, these tsunamis, and this fire destroyed the entire once prosperous city of Lisbon. At the end of these disasters, although there is no definitive information due to most, if not all data, being lost during this disaster, it is estimated that there were between 15,000 and 60,000 casualties when Lisbon was razed to the ground. Although Lisbon itself suffered many casualties, it is important to remember the impact this earthquake had on Portugal and Europe as a whole. At the time of the earthquake, Lisbon was heavily involved in trade with various countries such as Asia, Africa, India and France. This economic loss spread rapidly. After the disaster, King José I found himself in a state of confusion and disbelief. According to Shrady, “the king did exactly what no monarch should ever have to suffer… middle of paper…ugal suffered during this earthquake, especially regarding the discrepancies between God and philosophy. A nation once the object of ridicule due to its belief in superstitions, Portugal, and more specifically Lisbon, have proven that they are not truly in a state of permanent stagnation. It was Carvalho's ideas that helped push Lisbon to this point. It is important to remember this Lisbon earthquake for all the revolutionary ideas it incorporates. It wasn't just any earthquake; it really shaped Western civilization into what it is today. The truly amazing part of this whole event is how Lisbon was at one point completely in disarray and destroyed, and still managed to redeem itself and get back on its feet ahead of other European countries. The works of Voltaire, Locke, and the discoveries of modern science owe much of the credit to this entire scenario.