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The Age of Enlightenment is a period in European history which covers roughly the eighteenth century. It is a stage where human intelligence one gained supreme power over other faculties of man, especially faith. It heralds the beginning of mans quest for knowledge which is not anymore grounded on superstition, mysticism or even religion but rather on the united forces of empirical data and application of reason. New ideas and new approaches were produced and brought significant changes to the society which we now live in.

One of the factors which may have brought mans interest back to his capacity to form, operate and discern upon concepts through the method of abstraction rather than rest all claim of validity to spirituality and the church is Immanuel Kants Critique of Pure Reason. Prior to the Age of Enlightenment, Europe witnessed the slow collapse of the Papacy and the nobility. Gone are the days when the word of the Pope signified obedience and defiance is equivalent to ones demise. Now is the time to dare oneself and know the world. It is not a sin anymore to desire knowledge beyond what our eyes can see rather it becomes mans quest. It also provided a fresh outlook regarding the principles which governs nature, man and society which eventually formed a cosmopolitan solidarity of enlightened intellectuals as seen in the academy and even at coffeehouses. The death of fear of being ostracized produced a bold assault and resentment towards authority which includes the government and the church.
 
Scientists gained support and earned prominent status in society. The Royal Society of London became the home base for intellectual correspondence, criticisms and debates. Academic discussions were now possible thanks to the invention of the printing press which made cheaper books, journals, pamphlets and magazines. It revolutionized the literacy rating of European citizens as a result of everyones desire to learn. Everyone wanted to be educated and saw this as an opportunity to improve their social status. A new ideal form of knowledge was formulated which was largely based on particularities, observable facts and experience rather than the previous appeal to principles and speculation. The scientific method was applied in almost all avenues of inquiry and was accepted as the path towards acquiring knowledge.

Unfortunately, some of the philosophies and ideologies which were introduced during this time lead to bloody and violent revolutions. The introduction of the principles of republicanism, citizenship and rights based on the works of Voltaire and Roussau coupled with John Stuarts Mill division of labor principle in his celebrated book Wealth of Nations resulted to the French Revolution and the death of thousands of Europeans. Huge war debts, the monarchys lack of military credibility, insufficient social services and increasing taxation rates pushed the people to resent the traditional form of government which was royal absolutism. The only remedy they see possible is the restructuring of the government and adherence to the philosophical ideology of Roussau in order to have a general will. The new government will aim solely on the real interest of every member of society and will not be swayed by personal interests which the monarchies and this can only be done if every member enters a new social contract and surrender their individual rights. This movement further supported anti-clericalism in reference to Voltaires ideology which allows freedom of religion to exist in Europe and considered religion as a universal brotherhood rather than the oppressive character which Catholicism exposed to the world.  Fortunately, the blood of those who died during the French Revolution was not wasted. The Revolution made a significant contribution to the world through the language of abstract rights which are still being practiced today. It signaled the end of Feudal System and welcomed the reign of the bourgeoisie class.

The Industrial Revolution provided confidence and power to the middle class. In the work of Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, he suggests a free market economy is more beneficial to society. In congruence to the principle of humanism and individualism which is one of the major principle highlighted in this era, Smith believed that a natural flow in capital will entail an individual to strive harder in order to make better his own conditions in society. Since man is the captain of his fate, he alone has the power to improve it. The lesser the dictates of government have towards its populace the better will be its growth and development. This analysis regarding flow of wealth and its acquisition formed the foundation of major economic principles which are still being used today like the law of supply and demand.  It is indeed amazing how a century could amass such intellectual and cultural development.

The Age of Enlightenment did not happen on French territory alone yet it made France the focus of attention because of the major events that occurred within the region which eventually reshaped itself as a nation. It has become the source of political, social, scientific and industrial revolutions. It embraced the new ideologies which thinkers freshly crafted and with the slow advancement of scientific discovery paved way to the modernist era. Some of its major contributions to the world can be seen in the American Declaration of Independence, The United States Bill of Rights, and the French Declaration of Man and of the Citizen. One may say that much that we have today is the fruits of labor, blood and lives which were sacrificed during the time of the Enlightenment. The appropriateness of the word enlightenment to the era may still be debatable at some point because it has produced barbaric actions as seen in the Reign of Terror yet there is no doubt to the fact that freedom from the chains of tradition has produced more positive results.