The European Enlightenment

The European Enlightenment, roughly spanning the 17th to 19th centuries, was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason, science, and individual rights. Thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Kant challenged traditional authority and questioned religious dogma, advocating for knowledge, freedom, and democracy. This period fostered advances in philosophy, politics, and science, laying the groundwork for modern democratic societies, human rights, and the scientific method. It encouraged critical thinking and valued empirical evidence, ultimately promoting progress and rational thought over superstition and tradition. The Enlightenment profoundly influenced modern Western culture and institutions.