There is no one event that can be considered the sole cause of the Enlightenment, as it was a complex intellectual movement that developed over a long period of time. However, some historians point to the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries as a major precursor to the Enlightenment, as it challenged traditional religious and philosophical beliefs and emphasized the use of reason and empirical evidence to understand the natural world. Other factors that contributed to the development of the Enlightenment include the growth of literacy and the spread of new ideas through print culture, as well as political and economic changes such as the rise of mercantilism and the expansion of colonialism. Additionally, the ideas of earlier philosophers, such as John Locke and René Descartes, played a significant role in shaping Enlightenment thought.