A critical shift in political thought during the Age of Enlightenment was the emphasis on reason, individualism, and the questioning of traditional authority. Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire, challenged the divine right of kings and the established social order, advocating for concepts like liberty, equality, and democracy. Their ideas laid the intellectual groundwork for modern democratic governance, emphasizing the importance of human rights and the role of the individual in society. This philosophical revolution also catalyzed various political movements and revolutions, including the American and French revolutions, reshaping the political landscape of the modern world.