- Emphasis on reason, logic, and scientific inquiry.
- Belief in the power of human reason to understand and improve the world.
- Optimistic view of human progress and potential.
- Focus on the individual's role in society and the importance of individual rights.
- Emphasis on the importance of empirical observation and experimentation.
- Belief that human nature is essentially good and capable of improvement through education and societal reforms.
Romanticism (late-18th-early 19th centuries):
- Emphasis on emotion, intuition, and imagination.
- Belief in the importance of individual experience and expression.
- Appreciation of the natural world and the beauty of the natural world.
- focus on the emotions and the power of the individual.
- Emphasis on the imagination, creativity, and artistic expression.
- Idea of the "sublime" in nature: awe-inspiring and overwhelming.
- Interest in folklore, folk culture, and the common man.
- Importance of the inner world of the individual, the unconscious, and the mysterious.
- Belief in the essential goodness of human nature, but also an acknowledgment of the power of dark and destructive forces.
- Celebration of the individual's unique experiences, thoughts, and emotions.