Identify one of the prominent intellectual figures who significantly shaped the Enlightenment era.
The Enlightenment, a hugely important period in European history, emphasized reason and individualism rather than tradition. It was a time of groundbreaking ideas in philosophy, science, and politics during the 18th century. Now, while Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson were indeed famous Scottish figures, they were literary giants of a later period – Burns was a Romantic poet, and Stevenson a novelist of the Victorian era. Adam Smith and David Hume, on the other hand, were central to the Scottish Enlightenment, a key part of the broader European movement. Smith, with his book "The Wealth of Nations," laid the foundations for modern economics, advocating for free markets and the division of labor. Hume, a philosopher, explored human nature and questioned traditional beliefs, emphasizing empiricism and skepticism. Their ideas about economics, morality, and the nature of knowledge were hugely influential, making them key figures in shaping Enlightenment thought.
Envision Smith and Hume sitting at a cafe, debating economics and human nature, their ideas sparking the Enlightenment's flame.