Can anyone give me a short note on the literary term 'Enlightenment'??

The "Enlightenment" is not so much a literary term as a
period in history that affected the literature of its time. The Enlightenment can be
roughly dated as running from 1660-1789.

The primary change
in attitude that marked the period of the Enlightenment was a very conscious effort to
rationally evaluate and understand life through logic, scientific investigation, and the
application of reason rather than accepting the pronouncements of the Church or
tradition as being authoritative explanations. Those involved in advancing the cause of
the Enlightened attitudes believed they were advancing to a more enlightened
era:

they were
leaving behind the dark ignorance and blind belief that characterized the
past.

The attitudes of the
Enlightenment found their way into many aspects of the culture of the time. It is not
coincidence that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were written
during this time or that the ending point for the period is the time of the French
Revolution.