A little learning is a dangerous thing. - Alexander Pope
The Enlightenment was a major philosophical movement that swept through Europe in the 1700s that sought to use reason and the scientific method to advance society. Major figures from the Enlightenment include Voltaire from France, Rousseau from Geneva, and Alexander Pope from England.
These philosophers and writers sought to improve the basis for society's ideas such that they were founded on reason, intellect, and scientific understanding rather than through superstition or tyranny. The Church was also a major target of these Enlightened thinkers, as they saw that it was an impediment to people reasoning thoroughly.
The Enlightenment influenced many aspects of history, and even today is still with us as we seek to live in a more enlightened society that will give us true freedom.
