There is no doubt that the term enlightenment directly refers to light, specifically the light of reason, which allows humans to see things illuminated and in a different way. However, the term “enlightenment,” in the form of a process, also signifies a non-automatic mental operation through which a person can be illuminated by the light of reason. One can either enlighten oneself or be enlightened by another. The importance of this process is confirmed by the translation of the word in some European languages. If the German translations Aufklärung (from the verb aufklären), the English Enlightenment (from the verb enlighten), the Italian Illuminismo, or the Dutch Verlichting indicate the process of enlightenment, the French term Lumières simply refers to the lights that shone during that era. Despite the terminological differences in translation, the idea of light appears in both cases, as shown in phrases such as “shed light on,” “illuminated,” “enlightened,” or “made clear,” which all mean the knowledge of the truth of something.