The Enlightenment
Subtitle: a very short introduction
By: John Robertson
Edition: First edition.
Series: Very short introductions -- 443; Very short introductions -- 443.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 147
ISBN-13: 9780199591787
Subjects: Enlightenment
Description: A foundational moment in the history of modern European thought, the Enlightenment continues to be a reference point for philosophers, scholars and opinion-formers. To many it remains the inspiration of our commitments to the betterment of the human condition. To others, it represents the elevation of one set of European values to the world, many of whose peoples have quite different values. But what is the relationship between the historical Enlightenment and the idea of 'Enlightenment', and can these two understandings be reconciled? In this Very Short Introduction, John Robertson offers a concise historical introduction to the Enlightenment as an intellectual movement of eighteenth-century Europe. Discussing its intellectual achievements, he also explores how its supporters exploited new ways of communicating their ideas to a wider public, creating a new 'public sphere' for critical discussion of the moral, economic and political issues facing their societies.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 131-140) and index.
Table of contents: title: The Enlightenment; title: Engaging with religion; title: Bettering the human condition; title: Enlightening the public; title: The Enlightenment in philosophy and history.