I believe Diderot attempts to define freedom as freedom from oppressive monarchies and freedom from religious oppression. During the Age of Enlightenment learning freed itself from the Church, and literacy became widespread. (Fiero 134) With literacy came the knowledge of reason and being able to think on our own and make decision about our own religious beliefs. Although, we couldn’t really be free until government was free from the rules of the church. The separation of government and church was critical in the modern era. The two cannot work together for religious addicts will defy the government to follow directions by the church, while more rational individuals will go against the church to obey the natural laws. Locke believed that