Age of Enlightenment (jan 1, 1685 – dec 31, 1815)

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The natural rights philosophy was a product of this age. The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement during the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This age celebrated human reason and sought to realize its potential in all areas of human endeavor. Another name for the Age of Enlightenment is the Age of Reason. The world's interest in the Renaissance, a part of this age, stimulated research into natural science or the study of the natural world and the laws that govern it. This was encouraged by commercial expansion and voyages of discovery beyond Europe.

The US founders belonged to the Age of Enlightenment. They believed in the power of reason and of observation. They all wanted to understand the workings of governmental and societal institutions. Believing that these powers would also be a guide in ways to improve these institutions was one of their main beliefs. With all of their faith and self-confidence, the creators of our constitution thought that they could create a new order of government during one summer's deliberations in Philadelphia.

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