Object-oriented programming (OOP) was developed to address issues with procedural programming languages. OOP uses classes and objects to organize code and data. A class defines common attributes and behaviors of objects, while an object is an instance of a class with unique attribute values. This allows for code and data encapsulation, reuse, and easier maintenance. The next chapters will cover specific OOP concepts and how to implement them to realize the benefits of OOP like simplified design, reusability, and maintainability.