Final answer:
The Enlightenment, also referred to as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason, was a philosophical movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, science, and rationality. Important figures of the Enlightenment include Rousseau, Diderot, Voltaire, John Locke, and Isaac Newton. The movement heralded ideals like liberty, tolerance, and separation of church and state, and it played a pivotal role in shaping modern Western thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who invented the term 'enlightenment'? The term 'Enlightenment' does not have a single inventor, as it represents a broad intellectual movement. However, the concept and the use of the term gained prominence during the 17th and 18th centuries, encapsulating a period known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. This period was marked by a dramatic shift in thought which emphasized reason, science, and rationality over superstition and blind faith. Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, Diderot, Voltaire, John Locke, and Isaac Newton were influential in spreading new ideas of liberty, progress, tolerance, and the questioning of traditional authority.
What does it mean? The Enlightenment was a philosophical era that advocated for the use of reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy. This movement supported ideals such as liberty, progress, fraternity, tolerance, constitutional government, and the separation of church and state. It also encouraged the scientific method and increased scrutiny of religious orthodoxy, which had strong implications for the political structure and societal norms of the time.