Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual and cultural movement that took shape in Europe from the late 17th to the late 18th century, emphasizing reason, empirical inquiry, individual rights, and secular governance [Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/event/Enlightenment-European-history). Its ideas drew on the [Scientific Revolution] and influenced political change including the American and French Revolutions, while also provoking religious debates about deism and tolerance [Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-Enlightenment) and [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/). The term “Enlightenment” is also used in religious contexts to denote spiritual awakening, notably bodhi in Buddhism and moksha in Indian traditions [Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/bodhi-Buddhism) and [Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/topic/moksha-Indian-religion).
