The Age of Enlightenment was preceded by and closely associated with the Scientific Revolution. Earlier philosophers whose work influenced the Enlightenment included See more

The Enlightenment took hold in most European countries and influenced nations globally, often with a specific local emphasis. For example, in France it became associated … See more

In contrast to the intellectual historiographical approach of the Enlightenment, which examines the various currents or discourses of intellectual thought … See more

• Atlantic Revolutions
• Early modern philosophy
• European and American voyages of scientific exploration
• Haskalah, Jewish Enlightenment See more

Philosophy
Bacon's empiricism and Descartes' rationalist philosophy laid the foundation for enlightenment … See more

The idea of the Enlightenment has always been contested territory. According to Keith Thomas, its supporters "hail it as the source of everything that is progressive about the modern world. For them, it stands for freedom of thought, rational inquiry, critical … See more

The philosophes spent a great deal of energy disseminating their ideas among educated men and women in cosmopolitan cities. They used many venues, some of … See more