The Enlightenment played a crucial role in shaping modern Western philosophy by promoting reason, individualism, and empirical evidence as the foundation for knowledge and societal progress. Enlightenment thinkers, including John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant, challenged traditional authority and advocated for personal liberties, democracy, and social contract theories. Their works laid the groundwork for the development of modern political thought, advocating for the rights of individuals and the importance of governance based on reason. The Enlightenment's emphasis on rationality and skepticism of dogma also influenced advances in science, ethics, and education, profoundly impacting Western civilization.