ABSTRACT
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that prevailed in Europe from the death of Louis XIV of France in 1715 to the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789. While the Enlightenment primarily centered on France, it drew representatives and adherents from throughout Europe. New ideas and philosophical approaches did much to define and shape the age and its history. A complicated set of changing political and social circumstances contributed to a general reassessment of the role of the state and the goals of society. Enlightenment thinkers attempted to make philosophy meaningful in the context of the political and social realities that they sought to change. They frequently disagreed about philosophical issues, as well as in their views on politics, religion, and society. The Enlightenment was an optimistic age that believed in the possibility of progress and social improvement largely because of a positive attitude toward human nature.
