The Enlightenment

by Open University

This 16-hour free course explored the Enlightenment, its impact and the forces of change which led from Enlightenment to Romanticism.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Tracey Madeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spans from the middle of the 18th Century to the beginning of the 19th Century and Romanticism. It was called the age of reason and spread throughout mainland Europe. This book gives a good introduction to some of the thinkers of the age including Voltaire, Diderot, Burke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Reformers like William Wilberforce and Robert Owen. Scientists such as Isaac Newton and painters like Constable.

This book aims to give an outline of the period, together with additional exercises, in order to form a base for further study. For anyone wishing to get a flavour of this period, this is a good place to start.

[Major · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant (brief) overview of the Enlightenment for those who have never really looked at it before. I’ve got to say the free OU sources are incredible.

[Mr Douglas E R Jeatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit disjointed and some dodgy editing but a fair summary. Need a lot more detail about how the ideas could become assimilated by so many in the face of established religious and political beliefs; how ideas were communicated (apart from through the Encyclopaedia); the impact on the "common man". If the idea is to stimulate further reading then I guess it succeeds.

[Collin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little introductions to thr topics.