Thoughts and Reflections on the Enlightenment summary

     Towards the end of the 17th century, Europe saw a general refusal to accept religion as the answer to every question. This skepticism led to a paradigm shift in which people began to look at the world through a more concrete lense as opposed to the abstract and insubstantial answers which religion offered. Instead of accepting that all suffering and tragedy was the will of the Devine, people began to take measures in order to mitigate the negative impacts of things such as disease and poverty. This period was known as the Enlightenment. The Elnightenment began towards the end of the 17th century and ended shortly after the start of the 19th century. It was driven by science, reason, and a general desire to improve the quality of life. This period saw the many revolutions and the writings of such thinkers as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, all of whom were critical in shaping modern philosophy.