The Enlightenment was a movement of thought and belief concerned with the interrelated ideas of God, reason, nature, and man that claimed wide assent among the intellectuals in 17th and 18th century Europe. It attacked the fundamental beliefs and practices of European society. Although the Enlightenment was diverse in emphasis and interests, those who followed its tenets were convinced that the right reason could discover useful knowledge, aspiring to conquer man's happiness through freedom. It would affect science, religion, and social thinking of society.
Enlightened science contributed to society by destroying the wide domain of medieval errors in the method. A by-product of this was experimental reasoning, used to solve all of man's problems.
In religion, it would cause such division and strife that the effects of debate are still felt even today. During this period, there would arise Deism and Materialism. The notion of the essential goodness of man, Humanitarianism, and Atheism. There would arise a conflict between reason and passion.