Final answer:
The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a period where reason was the foundation of authority, prioritizing scientific thinking and rationalism over tradition and religious beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment, often called the Age of Reason, was an intellectual and cultural movement in the eighteenth century that decidedly emphasized reason over superstition and highlighted the power of science over blind faith. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Voltaire, used the press to challenge the accepted beliefs of the time and introduced new concepts such as openness, investigative spirit, and religious tolerance.
This period highlighted the de-emphasis on tradition, authority, and religion, instead advocating for liberty, progress, and the scientific method. The ideas of the Enlightenment had widespread influence, contributing to the undermining of the monarchy and the church's authority, and were instrumental in paving the way for the political revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.
In summary, the Enlightenment was an age of inquiry based largely on reason (d), as it valued rationalism and the scientific method over the historical pillars of society during that era.