During the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, a significant transformation occurred in intellectual thought, emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights. Philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenged traditional authority and promoted ideas of liberty, democracy, and social contracts. This intellectual shift encouraged the questioning of religious and monarchal power, leading to advances in human rights and political theory. The Enlightenment fostered a culture of inquiry and skepticism, laying the groundwork for revolutionary movements, particularly in America and France, that sought to apply these principles in governance and societal structures.