The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that occurred in Europe during the 17th and 18th century. The central idea was to emerge from ignorance into a new age of “enlightenment”. The goal to human enlightenment was freedom, knowledge, and happiness. The voice of reason was to be thought of as a power that would enable humans to have a better understanding of the universe and mankind. Europe’s political, social, religious, and economic views had major changes. The new way of thinking led to the development of a new religion called Deism. Deist believed in a higher power that made the universe like a machine. They also strongly believed that human happiness and achievement was the source of enlightenment. Humanitarianism
