What major ideological challenge did the Enlightenment present to established authority?

The Enlightenment was a pivotal intellectual movement that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, characterized by an emphasis on reason, individualism, and empirical evidence. The major ideological challenge it presented to established authority was the advocacy for a reappraisal of accepted ideas. Thinkers of the Enlightenment questioned long-held beliefs about governance, the natural order, and social hierarchies, and they encouraged society to critically analyze and reconsider these traditional frameworks.

Philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau argued for concepts like natural rights, social contracts, and the separation of powers, fundamentally challenging the divine right of kings and the absolute authority of monarchies. Their ideas inspired movements for democracy and rational governance, laying the groundwork for modern political thought. By promoting the notion of using reason and critical thinking to evaluate established norms, the Enlightenment sought to empower individuals and promote societal progress, which directly opposed traditional structures that relied on unquestioned authority.