Final answer:
The guillotine was proposed by Dr. Joseph Guillotine during the French Revolution to make executions more humane and systematic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea of the guillotine was proposed by Dr. Joseph Guillotine during the French Revolution, aiming to render executions more humane and equitable across all social class. The guillotine became a pervasive symbol of the Revolution and was used to execute not only King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette but also thousands of others during the period known as the Reign of Terror, under the rule of Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety. Despite its intent to be more humane, the guillotine became associated with mass executions and the terror of radical revolutionary justice.