The Enlightenment in Europe

The Enlightenment was an 18th-century intellectual movement in Europe that emphasized reason, science, and individual rights over tradition and authority. Thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke promoted ideas such as freedom of speech, separation of church and state, and the pursuit of knowledge through empirical evidence. This period encouraged questioning established beliefs and authority, leading to advances in philosophy, politics, and science. The Enlightenment influenced major societal changes, including revolutions and the development of democratic governments, shaping modern concepts of human rights and rational inquiry.