Enlightenment thinkers played a big role in shaping the ideas of Immanuel Kant. They created an environment that focused on reason, individual rights, and ethics. Kant learned a lot from important figures like René Descartes, John Locke, and David Hume. They all believed that reason is the best way to gain knowledge and understand the world around us.

One person who influenced Kant a lot was David Hume. Hume questioned how we understand cause and effect, which pushed Kant to think more deeply about his own ideas. Kant wanted to find a balance between what we experience through our senses and what we know from within our minds. His groundbreaking idea was that our view of the world comes from both our experiences and basic concepts we already have. This idea was important because it spoke to Enlightenment thinkers’ worries about what we can know and the limits of human understanding.

Additionally, the Enlightenment placed great importance on personal freedom, which is reflected in Kant's ideas about morality. He introduced the "categorical imperative," which means that moral actions should come from our ability to reason and follow universal laws, not just from looking at the results or following an authority. This idea connects to the Enlightenment belief in human rights and the power of individuals to make their own choices.

To sum it up, Kant’s philosophy combines important Enlightenment ideas like the focus on reason, curiosity about the limits of knowledge, and respect for individual moral choices. The thoughts of Enlightenment thinkers didn't just inspire Kant; they also posed important questions that he sought to answer. Through his careful study of philosophy, Kant helped shape our modern understanding of knowledge and ethics.