This document discusses the Enlightenment period in Europe and the spread of liberal ideas. Key thinkers during this time include philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau who used reason to critique absolute monarchy, the church, and traditional beliefs. They advocated for ideas like freedom of speech, religion, and commerce. Denis Diderot further spread Enlightenment thinking through his multi-volume Encyclopedia, which discussed topics in governance, philosophy, and religion from a rational perspective. Despite efforts to suppress it, the Encyclopedia helped disseminate Enlightenment ideals across Europe and later other parts of the world.