The Enlightenment was a period of significant intellectual, cultural, and philosophical development in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasized reason, science, individualism, and the power of human beings to improve society through education and progress. Key figures of the Enlightenment included thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke, who promoted ideas such as freedom of thought, religious tolerance, and the separation of church and state. The Enlightenment had a profound impact on politics, economics, and social structures, laying the foundation for modern democratic societies and promoting the ideals of equality, liberty, and reason.