The Age of Reason During the 18th and 19th centuries, many notable female figures were outspoken about the need to challenge women's subordinate social position. Their writings express, to a great extent, the legacy of the Age of Enlightenment by insisting that we must use reason as opposed to faith to discover any truth about our existence. Finding things out individually rather than unquestioningly following tradition was the Enlightenment's practice of free enquiry.