The Enlightenment, further known as the Age of Reason, was a profound movement that took place first in Europe and,again, in North America, during the late 17th and early 18th century. Its members thought they were enlightening human ability and culture after the dark Middle Ages. Aspects of the Enlightenment include the improvement of concepts such as reason, liberty, and the scientific method. Enlightenment philosophy was doubtful of religion especially the powerful Catholic Church monarchies and hereditary aristocracy. Enlightenment philosophy was a dominant guide in the French and American revolutions and constitutions. The Age of Exploration, in which Columbus encountered the New World, showed men to other philosophies and cultures, And finally, after ages of exploitation and abuse by governments and the church, normal residents of Europe were angered and began to write and speak up. Historians disagree on exactly when the Enlightenment started, although most agree that the Enlightenment's origins are equal to the Scientific Revolution in the 1600s. Major figures of the Enlightenment include Voltaire, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, …show more content…
He wrote the Declaration of Independence, which emphasized Enlightenment ideas such as liberty, fundamental human rights, and equality. Englishmen who were important in the Enlightenment include Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Hobbes supported absolutism for the monarchs but he believed in the right of the person and the equality of all men. He declared that political communities should be based on a social contract meaning people consent either clearly or silently to abandon some of their rights and submit to the authority of the ruler in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights. Locke prefers the opposite type of government, which was a representative