摘要
European and American philosophers of the eighteenth century were passionately committed to challenging the arbitrary power of contemporary governments and organized religion through the public use of reason and the promotion of selected rights and liberties. These ideals and the responses they provoked were not confined to just one historical and geographical context, but have continued to influence thought throughout the world. Indeed, the exposition and critical reassessment of the complex legacy of the Enlightenment and the Counter-Enlightenment can lead to the re-shaping of public life and institutions in contemporary societies. The purpose of this Speical Theme is to re-valuate the Enlightenment, and to exchange various interpretations and understandings of Enlightenment thought in different cultural settings.
European and American philosophers of the eighteenth century were passionately committed to challenging the arbitrary power of contemporary governments and organized religion through the public use of reason and the promotion of selected rights and liberties. These ideals and the responses they provoked were not confined to just one historical and geographical context, but have continued to influence thought throughout the world. Indeed, the exposition and critical reassessment of the complex legacy of the Enlightenment and the Counter-Enlightenment can lead to the re-shaping of public life and institutions in contemporary societies. The purpose of this Speical Theme is to re-valuate the Enlightenment, and to exchange various interpretations and understandings of Enlightenment thought in different cultural settings.
