Suchen und Finden
The Enlightenment and Its Effects on Modern Society
3
Contents
5
Chapter 1: Liberty, Life, and Happiness for All: The Ideals and Legacies of the Enlightenment in Modern Societies Revisited
9
Introduction
9
Modern Democratic Society and the Enlightenment
9
Modern Democratic Values and Institutions and the Enlightenment
11
The Process and Outcome of the Enlightenment
15
Destruction of Old, Creation of New, Social Values, and Institutions
15
Appendix:
22
The General Concept of Enlightenment
22
Chapter 2: Modern Democratic Society and the Enlightenment
27
The Children of the Enlightenment
27
The Modern Concept of Liberty and the Enlightenment
32
The Ideal and Legacy of the Enlightenment
32
Enlightenment Liberalism – The Principle of Liberty
36
Universal Liberalism – “Liberty for All”
38
Individualism and the Enlightenment
42
Enlightenment vs. Other Individualism
43
Liberal Individualism
47
Social Equality and Justice and the Enlightenment
51
Enlightenment vs. Non-Enlightenment Egalitarianism and Inclusion
52
Social Universalism and the Enlightenment
56
Cosmopolitanism
58
Social Progress, Optimism, and Pacifism and the Enlightenment
60
Social Progress
60
Optimism and Hope
63
Pacifism
67
Human Happiness in Society and the Enlightenment
69
Chapter 3: The Enlightenment and Western Civilization
75
The Enlightenment and Contemporary Civilization
75
The Enlightenment and Stages in Western Civilization
75
The Highest Point in the Quest for Human Liberty, Equality, Justice, Life, and Happiness?
80
Cultural Revolution in Modern Society
85
The Creative Destruction of Traditionalism
87
The Creation of Liberal-Democratic Modernity
92
The Creative Destruction of Feudalism and the Medieval World
94
The Enlightenment as the Dual Destroyer-Creator
97
Generalized “Copernican Revolution” in Society
101
How the Modern West Was Won?
107
Chapter 4: The Enlightenment and Modern Culture
115
The Enlightenment as Cultural Revolution
115
“Creative Destruction” in Culture
115
The “Rationalistic Renaissance”
123
Light, Reason, and Liberation vs. Darkness, Superstition, and Subjugation
127
The Enlightenment Legacy of Human Reason and Social Progress
136
Rationalist and Progressive Legacies
141
Liberal-Democratic Legacies
149
The Enlightenment as Revolution in Science, Knowledge, and Education
158
Liberation and Well-Being Through Science, Knowledge, and Education
160
The Program of Intellectual Freedom
168
The Foundation of Modern Social Science
173
Chapter 5: The Enlightenment and Politics
177
The Enlightenment as Proxy Political Revolution
177
The Enlightenment vs. the Ancien Regime
177
The Enlightenment and the New Politics
184
Modern Democracy vs. Traditional Theocracy
190
The Enlightenment and Liberal-Secular Democracy
192
The Enlightenment and Modern Democratic Revolutions
198
The Political Legacies of the Enlightenment
204
The Legacy of Political Liberties and Human Rights
204
The Legacy of Religious Freedom, Tolerance, and Pluralism
211
The Enlightenment vs. Intolerance and “Holy” War
215
Universal vs. Partial Political-Religious Liberties
225
Chapter 6: The Enlightenment, Civil Society, and Economy
232
The Enlightenment as a Civic Revolution
232
Civil Society vs. Civitas Dei
232
The Enlightenment vs. the Protestant Reformation
238
The Agent Provocateur of the Conservative Anti-Enlightenment
242
The Enlightenment and the Creation of Modern Civil Society
244
Civic Innovation
244
The Human Life-World and the “Holy”
248
The Enlightenment and Sacred-Secular Differentiation
252
The Enlightenment and Modern Secular Humanism
259
Enlightenment Humanism and the Penal System for Sinners-Criminals
262
The Enlightenment as a Proxy Economic Revolution
271
Civil Society and Economy
271
The Enlightenment as Economic Innovation
272
The Enlightenment vs. the Feudal Master-Servant Economy
275
The Enlightenment and Economic Modernity and Freedom
280
Chapter 7: Counter-Enlightenment, Post-Enlightenment, and Neo-Enlightenment
286
The Enlightenment vs. the Dark Middle Ages Déjà Vu
286
The Medieval “Empire Strikes Back”
286
The Birth and Maturation of the Anti-Enlightenment – Enemies of the Enlightenment
288
The Main Current of the Counter-Enlightenment – Conservatism
288
Neo-Conservatism Cum the New Counter-Enlightenment
300
Counter-Enlightenment Conservative “Romance” – Romanticism
302
The Ultimate Conservative Anti-Enlightenment – Fascism
306
The Post-Enlightenment
308
Post-Enlightenment as the Anti-Enlightenment
308
Post-Enlightenment as the Neo-Enlightenment
310
The Post-Enlightenment as Post-Modernity
313
The Neo-Enlightenment
315
The Neo-Enlightenment and the New Liberalism
316
Trends Toward the Neo-Enlightenment
317
“American” Values and the Enlightenment Revisited
324
Enlightenment vs. Pre- and Anti-Enlightenment American Values
325
The Enlightenment and American Liberal-Democratic Values
330
Appendix: Critics and Skeptics of the Enlightenment
333
Chapter 8: Conclusion
340
A World without Enlightenment Ideals, Achievements, and Legacies
340
The Dark Middle Ages Universalized in Society and Perpetuated into Infinity
340
“Back to the Future” of Witches, Witch Trials, and other Wondrous Creatures and Practices
344
A World with Enlightenment Values and Legacies
350
Welcome to Liberal-Democratic Modernity
350
References
354
Index
367
Alle Preise verstehen sich inklusive der gesetzlichen MwSt.