Targeted by criticism throughout its course, the Enlightenment has been accused of ideas that were not its own and of historical developments it neither sought nor caused. Over the years, it has gained a reputation that now obscures its face like a rigid mask. The dominant image of the Enlightenment today does not reflect the work of specialists. I cannot find another field of historical study where the gap between scholarship and the general public is so deep and so fatal as in the Enlightenment. And when I say 'public,' I mean the consumers of manuals and, I fear, often the producers of them as well.
(Peter Gay)
In this provocative book, Peter Gay dispels old myths and clarifies the historical role, timeless values, and spirit of the Enlightenment. He opposes the postmodern discourse that regards the Enlightenment as a precursor to the totalitarianisms of the 20th century, emphasizing that the rationalism of the Enlightenment figures does not imply a naive trust in the omnipotence of reason, but rather a belief in the critical spirit that puts all views to the test - even their own.
[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]
Manufacturer
Product Details
- Author
- Peter Gay
- Publisher
- Epilogi / THyrathen
- Subtitle
- Theses on the French Enlightenment
- Language
- Greek
- ISBN-13
- 9789608097766
Edition
- Cover
- Soft
- Number of Pages
- 326
- Release Date
- -
- Publication Date
- 2010
Content
- Philosophical Movement/School
- Enlightenment
- Reader Level
- Classic Texts
Important information
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