What's Left of Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was a transformative intellectual movement that shaped our modern world. But many of its key tenets—the ideal of a Republic of Letters, the faith in science as a tool to transform society, the fight against prejudice and obscurantism, the principle of religious tolerance, and the cultivation of critical reason through dialogue—are under attack today. In this seminar, we will ask both what the Enlightenment was and what’s left of it today. Special attention will be paid to voices of dissent within the Enlightenment and notably those of women. How might these critical voices help us to understand the fate of Enlightenment values in our current moment?

Authors studied will include Voltaire, Châtelet, Montesquieu, Graffigny, Deffand, Rousseau, Diderot and Gouges.

The seminar will be offered in English, but advanced reading knowledge of French is required. Undergraduates are welcome to enroll with instructor permission.