Introduction
The Enlightenment was a period in history when far-fetched thinking gave way to a more rational understanding of cause and effect. The Enlightenment promoted the scientific method, challenged ideas grounded in tradition, faith or superstition, and advocated the restructuring of governments and social institutions based on reason. It was not always so enlightened, however. While Enlightenment thinkers sought to advance the public goo; producing documents like Declaration of Independence, they also used reason to justify colonialism and slavery. There are not many intellectual movements in the history of the world that have had as significant an impact as the Age of Enlightenment. The foundations of government in most modern democracies were shaped out of this time period, and our world today is still dependent on the thoughts and achievements of this unique period in time. In this WebQuest, you will explore those ideas and the brilliant men behind them.