The Time of the Thinkers: The Enlightenment

The influence of the scientific revolution soon spread beyond the world of science. Philosophers admired Newton because he had used reason to explain the law of governing nature. People began to look for laws governing human behavior as well. They hoped to apply reason in the scientific method to all aspects of society- government, religion, economics, and education. In this way, the ideas of the scientific revolution paved the way for a new movement called the enlightenment, or the age of reason. This movement reached its height in the mid-1700s.