This course takes students through developments in literature, political thought, legal philosophy, and scientific inquiry that mark the transition from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment and beyond, highlighting the emergence of individualism, innovations in social contract theory, theorizing and articulation of rights and laws, and the emergence of calculus as a tool for understanding the physical world. The course begins with the transformation of narrative and poetic expression during this pivotal period. With Cervantes' Don Quixote and Milton's Paradise Lost, students study the shift towards individual perception, along with explorations of free will and morality. Next students unpack the foundational theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, whose ideas on political legitimacy, the consent of the governed, and the nature of state authority laid the groundwork for modern democratic governance. These theories in turn inform the political and legal responses to the excesses of absolute monarchy, which the course follows with a focus on the emergence of ideas and frameworks designed to safeguard individual rights against government tyranny. Through the works of Milton and Blackstone and the founding documents of the American and French revolutions, students encounter the articulation of rights, the role of law in upholding these rights, and enduring debates over equality, liberty, and the notion of the people. Finally, the course examines the scientific and mathematical innovations of Huygens, Newton, and Leibniz, which culminated in the development of calculus and its application to physics.