The Enlightenment was a time when people started to think differently about the world and our place in it. This change in thinking was greatly influenced by the Scientific Revolution, which happened before the Enlightenment.
During the Scientific Revolution, scientists like Galileo, Newton, and Copernicus developed new ways of exploring and understanding the natural world. They used observations, experiments, and mathematics instead of just accepting ideas based on tradition or religious beliefs. For example, Copernicus showed that the Earth revolves around the Sun, which was a very different idea from what people believed before.
Enlightenment thinkers, often called philosophers, took this spirit of inquiry and applied it to other areas of life, not just science. They believed that reason and logic could help improve society, government, and human rights. Thinkers like John Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau argued that people should think for themselves, question authority, and seek knowledge.
In summary, the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers were influenced by the Scientific Revolution because they learned to value reason, evidence, and critical thinking. They believed that just like we could understand the natural world through science, we could also understand and improve human society!