The Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction

The Enlightenment: A Very Short IntroductionA 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

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.

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Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 12/01/2015
ISBN: 9780199591787
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.30lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.30w x 0.40d

Review Citations: Choice 08/01/2016