More than two hundred years ago, Europe was a very different place. To modern eyes, 18th century Europe would be unrecognizable from its current state. However, the path to this new Europe has not been all fun and laughter, but a rather bumpy and tumultuous journey. Due to the introduction of new ways of thinking, the occurrence of multiple revolutions, changes in the style of government and leadership, which led to the creation and extinction of numerous countries, as well as the reorganization of border lines and the formation of a European Union, Europe today is hardly comparable to the Europe of our history books. The transformation Europe has experienced has spanned a period of more than two hundred years and has transformed it into the most unified power of the 21st century that we know today. One of the new ways of thinking introduced to Europe, which changed the course of history, was the idea of ​​the Enlightenment. As defined by Immanuel Kant, “Enlightenment is the emergence of man from his self-induced immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's intellect without the guidance of another” (Reader pg 33). For Enlightenment philosophers such as Kant, John Locke, Olympe de Gouges and Voltaire, life was about reason, individualism and human rights, not the state or a king who thought he was the state. The Age of Enlightenment encouraged individuals to think for themselves; and many people have taken advantage of this opportunistic thinking. In France, the Third Estate pushed for equal rights by presenting their cahiers de doléances during the general assembly of the Estates in 1789. John Locke, an Englishman, proposed the thought that human nature is intrinsically good, human nature is shaped from education, education ...... halfway through the document ...... a partner who can stand with the United States making the world a more stable place, supporting a thesis popular in Europe known as the “counterweight thesis” (Reid 3 ). This union is a far cry from the belligerent and conflict-ridden countries of centuries past. Comparing the modern European Union to 18th century Europe is a task that requires much consideration. Europe has a huge history that spans many countries, not just one. With the events of the French Revolution, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, multiple revolutions across Europe in the 1800s, and numerous leaders and wars, Europe has undergone an extreme transformation over the past two hundred years. Today's Europe is unrecognizable compared to that of the 18th century, but without Europe's harsh history it would not be the power it is today.