A key Enlightenment figure who advocated for humanity's improvement through reason, best known for his optimistic work on human progress written during his imprisonment in the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.

An English lawyer and scientist who laid the groundwork for the scientific method through inductive reasoning, he is also known for his literary talents, sometimes speculated to have penned Shakespeare's works.

A philosopher who developed the concept of the General Will, emphasizing societal direction by collective consensus and influencing the French Revolution toward ideological conformity.

A Jacobin leader during the French Revolution, known for his role in the Reign of Terror, which saw widespread imprisonment and executions, marking a significant historical period of ideological extremity.

A prominent figure in complexity theory, he is recognized for his NK model that explores the balance of stability and adaptability in organisms existing on the "edge of chaos."

An esteemed economist from the University of Chicago, awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the impact of human social emotions on economic behavior, advancing the understanding of economics in relation to the hard sciences.