The cultural impact of the Enlightenment in Europe was profound, promoting ideas of reason, individualism, and skepticism of authority. Enlightenment thinkers, like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke, questioned traditional institutions and dogmas, advocating for freedom of thought, human rights, and democratic governance. This intellectual movement encouraged a shift from feudal and monarchic systems to more secular and progressive societies. It inspired revolutions, including the American and French Revolutions, and laid the groundwork for modern democratic ideals. The Enlightenment deeply influenced art, literature, and education, promoting an emphasis on human reason and empirical evidence rather than superstition and tradition.