The term "Enlightenment," rooted in an intellectual skepticism to traditional beliefs and dogmas, denotes an "illumined" contrast to the supposed dark and superstitious character of the Middle Ages.

Enlightenment is the ultimate goal of human life. It means to bring in the light of the truth. Why do we need to be enlightened? Because we are living in the darkness of ignorance. We believe in ...

The chronological context of the Enlightenment is taken to be Europe between the reign of Louis XIV and the end of the Directory in France in 1799. Within this broad framework the following large ...

Nearing retirement, naturalist José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (1763–1838) was an intellectual imbued with ideas of the Enlightenment. He fought against French troops led by Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 ...