The Enlightenment

Understanding the Enlightenment is a key aspect of our intellectual and cultural history, which this book does superbly, not only in terms of the 18th century and its legacy, but also more recent cultural history. Otherwise called the Age of Reason, it questioned established authorities - both religious and political - while holding a vision of the betterment of mankind, which has had a huge influence since that time. I liked Kant's definition that the Enlightenment is the freedom to make public use of one's reason with the goal of liberating mankind from its self-imposed immaturity. Arguably, this trend goes too far when closely aligned with philosophical materialism. The author deals with three main areas: engaging with religion, bettering the human condition in social, economic and political respects, and enlightening the public. He draws on a vast range of thinkers including Gibbon, Voltaire, Montesqieu, Hume, Smith and Rousseau, reminding readers what a shock his essay on inequality created in the culture of the time by equating modern developments with corruption and praising the noble savage. Among the important social features of the 18th century were coffee houses, Freemasonry, new learned societies and the salons presided over by formidable women. The wide availability of print helped circulate these new ideas more widely and many of the leading figures to part in university reform with the emergence of more specialist disciplines. A richly rewarding read.