The main achievement of the Age of Enlightenment was the promotion of reason, scientific thought, and individual rights. Spanning the 17th and 18th centuries, this intellectual movement emphasized knowledge over tradition, leading to radical shifts in philosophy, political theory, and social structures. Thinkers like John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant advocated for rationalism and empiricism, laying the groundwork for modern democracy and secular governance. The Enlightenment influenced revolutions worldwide, inspiring ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which shaped contemporary political systems and concepts of human rights.