The Enlightenment was an 18th-century movement in European and American thought that emphasized the power of reason and science, rather than traditional doctrine, to understand and reform the world

Conclusion
The Enlightenment was an 18th-century movement in European and American thought that emphasized the power of reason and science, rather than traditional doctrine, to understand and reform the world. Some historians also include 17th century philosophy, usually called the Age of Reason.
The Enlightenment artistic style is called "classical" (as opposed to the earlier Baroque and the later Romantic styles). The Enlightenment marked advances in philosophy, the sciences (especially physics, chemistry and mathematics), economics, political theory, geography (especially exploration), and technology (especially the origins of the Industrial Revolution), though in fact the greatest achievements in those fields were typically inspired by Christianity.
Out of the Enlightenment emerged the new philosophy of liberalism. Thinkers like Adam Smith had a major impact on creating classical liberalism and the ideals of the free market. John Locke is often considered the father of the Enlightenment and wrote several works on social contract theory and religious toleration. Several of America's Founding Fathers were actively engaged in the Enlightenment, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, and their political thinking influenced American political ideas of republicanism.
Developed by the philosophes in France, England, Scotland, and the German states, the Enlightenment influenced the whole of Europe including Russia and Scandinavia, as well as the American colonies in the era of the American Revolution.
The French Enlightenment was marked by virtue, reason, freedom, and progress. The Eighteenth Century was certainly a time of Enlightenment as we have discussed. This period of intellectual curiosity and experimentation was based on an abiding faith in the power of human reason to unlock the mysteries of nature and society. One manifestation was a confident belief in the steady advance of civilization through scientific progress. Many people focused their thoughts and ideas on "useful" thoughts rather than abstract thoughts and speculation. All of these changes in science, politics, and thinking in general changed many cultures and the way lives were lived. Changes in French Society were reflected in changing literary preferences. Due to all of this logical reasoning, genres and types of writing were altered. Many philosophers all wrote fiction as well as non-fiction essays on a variety of topics. The Enlightenment movement certainly brought more writers out of the dark. During this period, many women began to write and publish literature as well. In my belief, the culture of this time affected authors in more ways than one. With such great progress in an everyday lifestyle and routine is hard not to be recognized. Although reasoning and identifying natural laws were important, many authors wrote fictional stories and novels that became quite popular in the eighteenth century and still are today.
The definition of enlightenment is to be in the state of being enlightened. The Enlightenment period in history was a philosophical movement in the eighteenth century, characterized by the belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine. A doctrine is defined as a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by certain people or establishments.