Was There One Enlightenment?

Reason, religion, liberty and happiness. What connects the Enlightenment’s competing visions of a better society?

Begin with one idea

You do not need to read everything before joining in. Choose an essay or an interview, then bring one example to the discussion.

Beyond the Age of Reason: an introduction to the question of one Enlightenment or many.
Anthony Pagden: Why the Enlightenment Still Matters: an archive interview.
Ritchie Robertson: The Enlightenment and the Pursuit of Happiness: an archive interview.

What holds the Enlightenment together: reason, liberty, happiness, or a willingness to question inherited authority?

Choose one claim you found convincing or difficult. Explain why, and invite others to offer a different reading.

Read or listen at your own pace, then share a question, a short response or a passage that changed your mind.

A digital common room for serious readers: read with The Intellectual Historian, listen with Beyond the Text, and discuss here.

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