re-write it in a short paragraph
Europeans’ perspective on government and society underwent a transformative shift due to a revolution in intellectual thought. The freedoms enjoyed today in many countries are a direct result of Enlightenment principles. The movement can be traced back to the ideas proposed by two English political thinkers in the 1600s. Thomas Hobbes articulated his viewpoints in the book Leviathan (1651), while the philosopher John Locke offered a more optimistic view of human nature. The pinnacle of the Enlightenment occurred in France in the mid-1700s, with influential figures such as François Marie Arouet and Baron de Montesquieu leading the charge for political liberty. Separation of powers, a concept endorsed by these thinkers, has been incorporated into the constitutions of France, the United States, and various Latin American nations. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, another prominent figure of the Enlightenment, emphasized the importance of individual freedom, in contrast to Locke and his focus on natural or human rights.