The Enlightenment thinkers significantly influenced modern political thought by introducing concepts such as human rights, liberty, and reason. Philosophers like John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenged traditional authority and advocated for democracy, individual freedoms, and the social contract. Their writings laid the groundwork for political revolutions, including the American and French Revolutions, as Enlightenment ideas inspired citizens to question divine right and absolute monarchy. This intellectual movement emphasized rational thought and empirical evidence, promoting the idea that governments should exist to serve the people, ultimately shaping contemporary democratic ideals and human rights frameworks that prevail today.