What intellectual movement of the 18th century emphasized reason, science, and individual rights?

The Enlightenment was the intellectual movement of the 18th century that significantly emphasized reason, science, and individual rights. This movement brought about a surge in philosophical thought that challenged traditional doctrines and encouraged people to rely on reason as the best way to understand the world and improve society. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated for the importance of rational thought, empirical evidence, and the belief in individual freedoms, which laid the groundwork for modern democratic thought and practices.

The movement influenced various fields, including politics, ethics, and education, emphasizing ideas such as the social contract, the separation of church and state, and the inherent rights of individuals. This focus on individual rights was revolutionary, as it promoted the idea that people should have a say in their governance and the pursuit of happiness, which later influenced the American and French Revolutions.

In contrast, the Renaissance, which occurred earlier, primarily focused on a revival of classical learning and arts rather than the specific emphasis on reason and individual rights. Romanticism, emerging in the late 18th to early 19th century, was characterized by an emphasis on emotion and nature, often reacting against Enlightenment values. Utilitarianism, while an important philosophical