Throughout modern history, no other period of human evolution has had a greater effect on the way people think than the Enlightenment. The philosophers and great thinkers of the Enlightenment improved the logic of the human mind and propelled a period of massive progress in all aspects of society. Western thought has progressed over time to help build a more intellectual society. Modern philosophers such as Max Horkheimer and Immanuel Kant incorporated their views on Western thought into their political writings. Western ThoughtWestern thought is defined as the rational and critical inquiry into fundamental principles. Western thought is often divided into four main branches: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics. Metaphysics is the investigation of ultimate reality. Epistemology is the study of the origins, validity and limits of knowledge. Ethics studies the origins, validity and limits of knowledge. Aesthetics is the study of the nature of beauty in the fine arts. Western philosophy is generally considered to have originated in ancient Greece as a hypothesis about the underlying nature of the physical world. In its earliest form, it was indistinguishable from the natural sciences. Gradually, new developments were made in the field of philosophy over time. Modern philosophy has spawned a new era of thought. The word "modern" in philosophy originally meant "new." Modern philosophy was considered new thinking that emerged from the previous medieval period. Many advances were made in the intellectual, religious, political and social aspects of life in Europe to justify the beliefs of the thinkers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Explorations of the world, the Protestant Reformation, middle of paper......advantage. Kant argued that human beings should act as members of an ideal "realm of ends" in which each person is treated as an end in himself, and never as a means to the ends of others. Furthermore, everyone should govern their conduct as if their actions were subject to a law – a law that applies equally to all without exception. Kant spoke of a freedom of action based on moral order and equality. Both Kant's and Horkheimer's moral philosophies contributed to modern political ideas about freedom and democracy. Works Cited Horkheimer, Max. Eclipse of reason. New York. Oxford University Press.1947.Kant, Emmanuel. Political writings. Cambridge. University Press. 1970. Bernstein, JM Max Horkheimer. Taylor & Francis Group. January 21, 2003.env?CQ_SESSION_K….>.