The primary focus of Enlightenment philosophers in Europe was the promotion of reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. Emerging during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Enlightenment emphasized rational thought as the primary source of knowledge and advocated for progress in society through science and education. Philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu challenged existing political and religious institutions, promoting ideas of liberty, equality, and justice. Their work inspired revolutionary movements and laid the intellectual groundwork for modern democratic governance, human rights, and the development of secularism, significantly influencing Western thought and institutions for centuries to come.