What is the Enlightenment?

Philosophy History Science Politics

Dr. Sophie Raine

PhD, English Literature (Lancaster University)

Date Published: 28.02.2024,

Last Updated: 02.04.2024

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Table of contents

Definition and origins

The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a philosophical movement in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe, emphasizing rationality and the power of individuals to use their reason to make sense of the world. The Enlightenment saw a shift from the authority of religion and the monarchy, towards science and empiricism. The Enlightenment, above all, valued progress, freedom, democracy, tolerance, and the pursuit of knowledge. Though there is disagreement as to whether the Enlightenment marked the beginning of the modern era, it is generally accepted that the Enlightenment was a foundational moment within modernity.

As John Hibben writes,

It was an age characterised by a restless spirit of inquiry — a century of challenge. A new life was awake and stirred in the minds of men. Traditions which had been long venerated became the objects of searching investigation and criticism. The authority of the church, of the state and of the school was no longer regarded as the court of last appeal. The old beliefs which failed to justify themselves at the bar of reason were discarded. The foundations of time-honoured systems seemed shifting and uncertain. There was an insistent demand for the free play of the individual judgment. There was, also, a constant reference to the light of reason, the inner illumination shining bright and clear in contrast to the shadows of mysticism, or to the false and flickering light of dogmatism. (2018)

The Philosophy of the Enlightenment

John Hibben

It was an age characterised by a restless spirit of inquiry — a century of challenge. A new life was awake and stirred in the minds of men. Traditions which had been long venerated became the objects of searching investigation and criticism. The authority of the church, of the state and of the school was no longer regarded as the court of last appeal. The old beliefs which failed to justify themselves at the bar of reason were discarded. The foundations of time-honoured systems seemed shifting and uncertain. There was an insistent demand for the free play of the individual judgment. There was, also, a constant reference to the light of reason, the inner illumination shining bright and clear in contrast to the shadows of mysticism, or to the false and flickering light of dogmatism. (2018)

Definition and origins

New sources of authority

Social organization and natural rights

Skepticism

Rationalism and empiricism

Religious intolerance

Critiques of the Enlightenment

Totalitarianism and Dialectic of Enlightenment

Eurocentrism and racism

Feminism

The legacy of the Enlightenment

Further reading on Perlego

Bibliography

Popular articles

Popular articles

Definition and origins

New sources of authority

Social organization and natural rights

Skepticism

Rationalism and empiricism

Religious intolerance

Critiques of the Enlightenment

Totalitarianism and Dialectic of Enlightenment

Eurocentrism and racism

Feminism

The legacy of the Enlightenment

Further reading on Perlego

Bibliography