It is  useful to clarify thinkers in terms of enlightenment thinkers as opposed to anti enlightenment. This is more useful than empirical as opposed to rational. And then, even enlightenment  thinkers can also be classified in how much or little does faith have its place, and also in terms of the place of the state.  

That goes for thinkers in philosophy. But since the advent of the Frankfurt school and post modernism, it even more useful to classify  thinkers in term of America or anti America, [Freedom, Individual rights private property, the Rule of Reason, capitalism].

There is a lot to unpack here and I doubt if I can do justice to these gigantic subjects. I might mention here that John Locke and Hobhouse (The Metaphysical State) are two significant figures.

In the meantime, I might mention that the Middle Ages did provide a sort of synthesis between faith and reason to make an opening for a John Locke kind of Democracy.  

There is a bridge from Aristotle to John Locke. Too much of the religious world is directed against freedom, individual rights and pure reason. Too much of the academic world is against faith. There is a middle way.[In particular, the academic world nowadays is in direct antagonism towards Christianity.]