Final answer:
The Enlightenment saw thinkers like Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau introducing new concepts like rationalism and empiricism. These philosophies influenced social contract theory and have had a lasting impact on modern political and economic systems, fostering progress and advocating for individual rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, is a period in the 18th century known for a wave of new philosophical ideas. Key Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Mary Wollstonecraft were central to this intellectual movement. They developed principles to explain and improve social life through concepts like rationalism, empiricism, progressivism, and cosmopolitanism.
Rationalism is the belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge. Empiricism argues that knowledge arises from sensory experience. Progressivism suggests that societies can move forward and improve through reason and observation. And cosmopolitanism is the idea of being global citizens, open to understanding and improving the wider world. These philosophies contributed to the development of social contract theory and discussions around natural rights, liberty, and just governments. The Enlightenment's focus on reason, science, and individual rights directly influenced the formation of democratic governments and modern economic systems.
Enlightenment philosophers proposed systemic change, advocating for individual liberty, freedom of expression, and the limitation of religious and government power. Their writings established the groundwork for many contemporary political, economic, and social theories. Notably, some proposed more radical changes, like Spinoza, while others like Locke and Newton advocated for reforms within existing structures.