Final answer:
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in 18th century Europe that emphasized reason and promoted ideals such as liberty, progress, and tolerance. It challenged traditional political structures and paved the way for future political revolutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a philosophical movement that dominated Europe during the 18th century. It emphasized the use of reason and advocated ideals such as liberty, progress, tolerance, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Voltaire questioned accepted knowledge and spread new ideas about openness, investigation, and religious tolerance throughout Europe and the Americas.
Many consider the Enlightenment a major turning point in Western civilization, as it challenged traditional political structures and promoted individual rights and freedoms. The Enlightenment laid the foundation for the political revolutions that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries.