The Enlightenment was a result of a number of factors. The Scientific Revolution played an important role in educating people about the laws of nature. The Scientific Revolution, along with the Protestant Reformation, weakened the power of the Catholic Church. It also led people to question the power of monarchs and begin to consider their individual rights. In addition, the humanist belief in the potential of individuals encouraged people to control their own lives. Ideas like these presented people with an opportunity to use rational thought and observations in making decisions in all aspects of life.
Well enlighten means that you have greater knowledge then you did before. The enlightenment was a European intellectual movement. So a synonym of Intellect is <span>intelligence. So it would make sense that this was when the human race became smarter.
