The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in the 1700s that emphasized an intellectual approach rejecting traditional social, political and (sometimes) religious views. The Enlightenment held that view that humans were essentially good and that reason was the best way to discover truth.
Philosophers in the Enlightenment felt that breakthroughs in science, such as news in the late 1600s of Isaac Newton’s discoveries, could be duplicated in other fields through a systematic and logical approach. However, Newton's breakthroughs were inspired by his Christian faith,[Citation Needed] while some of the Enlightenment thinkers rejected and even criticized Christianity. There were Enlightenment philosophers in England, France and even the American colonies. There were stunning new works in classical music, and the arts flourished in what is known as the neo-classical period.