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European cultural movement focused on reason. Art and politics became centered around rationality, leading society to seek out knowledge.

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The Enlightenment period was built off of the Scientific Revolution, a point in history when logic and reason gained some traction in society, but to a lesser degree than the Enlightenment. Post war thinkers began to realize that society was built off of monarchal rule, and that through equality, rationality and freedom a greater society could be achieved.

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The Enlightenment carries one theme throughout its duration of history: reason. Reason was the basis for the entire movement, and was then used to question most landmark aspects of society. The questioning of prior tactics, such as feudalism, allowed societal leaders to progress through the gap between serf and monarch.

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Main ideas of the Enlightenment include reason, freedom and equality. Influencers such as John Locke believed that each human should be granted three natural rights: life, liberty and property (Britannica). He claimed that these rights would grant a base level of equality which would allow for societal progression.

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Neoclassicism: The artistic movement from the early, revolutionist stages of the Enlightenment. The style focused on the revival of Ancient-Greco/Roman art and techniques, similarly to the philosophical thinkers of the time.
Romanticism: One of the two art movements that developed mid-way through the Enlightenment, after Neoclassicism. Romantics focused on emotion, and rejected the previous standards of realistic, idealistic art work.
Realism: The other art form that followed Neoclassicism. It focused on the cold reality of society, highlighting flaws in close to photo-realistic quality.

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Written by Enlightenment thinker Rousseau, The Social Contract sought to fight the monarchal structure of society.
Image: The Social Contract; Source: Amazon

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Image: A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery; Creator: Joseph Wright; Source: Wikipedia

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"Enlightenment." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2020. library-eb-com.ezproxywit.flo.org/levels/referencecenter/article/Enlightenment/32680. Accessed 26 Sep. 2020.

Bristow, William. “Enlightenment.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 29 Aug. 2017, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/ .

Marandel, J Patrice. “The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 7, Europe in the Age of Enlightenment and Revolution.” Metmuseum.org, 1987, www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Vol_7_Europe_in_the_Age_of_Enlightenment_and_Revolution.

History.com Editors. “Enlightenment.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Dec. 2009, www.history.com/topics/british-history/enlightenment.