Final answer:
Philosophes were intellectuals of the 17th and 18th-century Enlightenment, advocating for reason and science over tradition, and influencing Western philosophy and politics, including the French Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Define Philosophes
The term Philosophes refers to the intellectuals who championed the Enlightenment during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. These thinkers, such as Voltaire, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu, put forth ideas that emphasized reason, scientific inquiry, and individual rights. Their work critically influenced Western philosophy, advocating for a society based upon reason and science, and suggested political systems with separations of powers and constitutional governance.
Philosophes were not just abstract thinkers but also social critics who explored relationships between individuals and governments. John Locke, for example, introduced the notion of natural rights and posited that the government should be altered or overthrown if it fails to serve the people. In France, the Enlightenment ideas underpinning liberty and human potential flourished, influencing the French Revolution's core principles of liberté, égalité, and fraternité.Overall, the Philosophes were instrumental in sowing the seeds of modernity by questioning traditional authority and paving the way for social and political reforms, culminating in many of the democratic ideals we hold today.