The phrase 'Age of Reason' is most closely associated with which intellectual movement?

• A. The French Revolution
• B. The Enlightenment
• C. Mercantilism
• D. The Great Awakening

Answer: (B)

The Age of Reason denotes the period in European history, roughly the 17th and 18th centuries, when thinkers emphasized reason, observation, and the scientific method as the primary sources of knowledge. This mindset gave rise to the Enlightenment, a broad movement that argued for natural rights, social contracts, religious toleration, and limits on absolute authority. Because the phrase is most closely associated with the Enlightenment, that is the best answer. The French Revolution was a later political upheaval inspired by Enlightenment ideas but is not the label for the movement itself; mercantilism is an economic doctrine focused on trade and national wealth; the Great Awakening was a religious revival emphasizing personal faith rather than rational inquiry.