This brief volume introduces the movement called the Enlightenment that swept through 18h-century Europe affecting all areas of political, religious, and educational life. A variety of selections showcase the writings of a number of Enlightenment figures, including Locke, Rousseau, Mary Wortley Montagu, Diderot, and Moses Mendelssohn. A comprehensive introduction reaches back to the roots of the movement to set up critical background on the political and social debates of the period. All documents are preceded by headnotes, and the volume includes a chronology, 14 illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.