Early Modern Period (17th - 18th Century)
The development of the scientific method led to a more structured and experimental approach to studying the natural world. Thinkers like Isaac Newton and John Locke influenced both the study of science and philosophy, laying the groundwork for the intellectual movements that would follow.
In the 18th century, Enlightenment thinkers such as Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau promoted the idea that education and study should be available to all, and that learning was a key to societal progress.