The Enlightenment: New Ideas

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. Philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu challenged existing ideas about government and society, advocating for concepts like democracy, liberty, and the separation of powers.

The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for modern political thought and inspired revolutions, particularly in America and France, as people began to demand rights and freedoms.