The main theme of the 18th-century Enlightenment revolved around reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. Thinkers like John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant emphasized the capacity for human reason and the importance of intellectual discourse in societal progress. Enlightenment ideas promoted the concepts of liberty, equality, and justice, advocating for the separation of church and state and the social contract. This philosophical movement greatly influenced modern democracies, human rights, and various revolutions, including the American and French Revolutions, as it encouraged people to challenge old paradigms and seek improvements in governance and society.