The political ideology that emerged as a result of the Enlightenment was liberalism. Rooted in the ideas of reason, individual rights, and skepticism of authority, liberalism emphasized the importance of personal freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Thinkers like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire championed these principles, advocating for social contracts, separation of powers, and civil liberties. As a response to absolute monarchies and traditional hierarchies, liberalism sought to promote equality and justice, becoming a foundational ideology for modern democracies and influencing political revolutions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.