What are some major important aspects of the Enlightenment?

was a
major international 18th century movement in culture, philosophy, and social and political
thought. Although many countries participated in it, the key figures of the movement were from
Britain (especially Scotland), France, and Germany.

On a religious level,
most (but not all) members of the Enlightenment tended towards atheism or deism, and sometimes
liberal Protestantism, rather than adhering to the traditions of the Roman Catholic church. Even
those who were religious sought to ground religion in the operation of reason rather than
unquestioning faith (thus Paley `s Evidences, Butler `s
, and Kant `s Religion with the Limits of Reason
Alone).

Politically, the Enlightenment stood for separation of
church and state, greater civic equality (as opposed to only aristocrats or monarchs holding
power), and the notion of inherent human rights (e.g. abolition of slavery, universal suffrage,
etc.)

Philosophically, the Enlightenment thinkers emphasized the power of
reason and science to solve problems.

Culturally, the typical genre of the
era was . In art and literature symmetry, coherence, balance and clear morals were admired more
than intense emotional effects (e.g. Pope`s Essay on Criticism or
Rape of the Lock)