Enlightenment Ideas: Then and Now Enlightenment thinkers applied reason to the study of human behavior in an effort to solve society's
problems. Below is a list of key ideas that came from Enlightenment
thinkers. Review the list and then answer the questions that follow.
• natural rights
• social contract
• freedom of religion
• freedom of speech
• free market economy
• separation of powers
Which of these ideas was most important to the everyday lives of the
people in the 1700s? Explain your answer.
Which of these ideas is the most important today? Explain your answer.