Final answer:
During the 1600s and 1700s, Enlightenment thinkers focused on scientific inquiry, government structures, economic systems, and philosophical subjects like metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, challenging traditional doctrines with reason and evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1600s and 1700s, thinkers, part of a period called the Enlightenment, were most interested in various aspects of philosophy that included the foundations of scientific inquiry, the structure and basis of government, and the development of economic systems. Philosophers from this era built upon the works of past thinkers and forwarded metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. The Enlightenment period marked a significant shift in thought, away from traditional doctrines and towards a society based on reason and empirical evidence, challenging traditional structures like religion and monarchy. The intellectual movement during this time critically examined long-standing views and was crucial in shaping modern Western philosophical and political ideas.