Enlightenment Influence

The Enlightenment was a period in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights. It encouraged people to question traditional authority, like government and religious institutions, advocating ideas such as freedom of speech, equality, and scientific exploration. Thinkers like Voltaire, Locke, and Rousseau promoted the use of reason to improve society and promote progress. These ideas influenced major political revolutions, such as the American and French Revolutions, and laid the groundwork for modern democratic societies by prioritizing human rights, rational thought, and empirical evidence over tradition and dogma.