Final answer:
During the Enlightenment, people in Western Europe thought of themselves as more 'civilized', contrasting with those they deemed 'savage'. Enlightenment philosophy, advocating for rationalism and scientific progress, generally influenced only the educated elite, while traditionally based societies were regarded as culturally inferior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment period was a time when individuals in Western Europe considered themselves to be more cultured in comparison to other populations which they perceived as less so. This period involved a focus on rationalism, scientific progress, and the advance of civilization. People from societies that did not mirror the principles of the Enlightenment were viewed as 'savage'. This perspective was particularly leveled against societies that were based on traditional religions, superstitions, and that had power defined by familial relationships rather than individual capability or constitutional governance.
Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu, advocated for natural rights and constitutional government and influenced societal views of governance across Europe. These ideas were particularly resonant among the educated, urban elite and eventually contributed to revolutionary changes, most notably in France with the French Revolution. Though the Enlightenment espoused the values of 'liberé, égalité, fraternité' or liberty, equality, and brotherhood, in reality, the era did not offer freedom and equality to all people, as noted with the limited involvement of women in the intellectual debates of the time.