Which intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority?

The Enlightenment is the correct answer because it was a pivotal intellectual movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that fundamentally changed how people thought about knowledge, authority, and human rights. Central to the Enlightenment was the emphasis on reason as the primary source for legitimacy and authority in human affairs, encouraging individuals to think critically and independently rather than simply following traditional doctrines or societal norms. Thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau championed ideas related to natural rights, individual freedoms, and the role of government as a social contract, which were revolutionary concepts that questioned the divine right of kings and other traditional forms of authority. This movement laid the groundwork for modern democratic theory and practice, influencing revolutions and reform movements across the globe.

In contrast, the Renaissance primarily focused on a revival of classical learning and the arts, while Romanticism celebrated emotion and individual experience, often as a reaction against Enlightenment rationalism. Classicism harkens back to the principles of Greek and Roman art and culture but does not embody the critical questioning of authority that defined the Enlightenment.