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Age of Enlightenment: A History from Beginning to End
Age of Enlightenment * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. From its beginnings as a loosely definable group of philosophical ideas to the culmination of its revolutionary effect on public life in Europe, the Age of Enlightenment is the defining intellectual and cultural movement of the modern world. Using reason as its core value, the Enlightenment believed that progress and the betterment of the human condition was inevitable. Inside you will read about… ✓ The Great Thinkers of the Enlightenment ✓ Engaging With Religion ✓ Morality in the Age of Enlightenment ✓ Society in the Age of Enlightenment ✓ Science and Political Economy ✓ The Enlightenment and the Public ✓ Print Culture and the Press Philosophies of the Enlightenment gave birth to the disciplines of political science, economic theory, sociology and anthropology, the disciplines that still form the basis of how we understand life in the 21st century. A bold attack on the Church, the State and the Monarchy, the Age of Enlightenment was a direct challenge to the status quo that sought freedom for all.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 13, 2026
It was interesting to learn how it developed across a few places at similar times. I was most interested in the French part of it. It was well written, setting the scene for what kinds of thinking and traditions the philosophers were up against at the time of their revelations. I wonder if humankind has advanced so far that philosophy is now obsolete or if there are marvels awaiting us. Awakening our minds is like trying to picture a colour that doesn’t exist. In retrospect things seem so obvious. But to figure them out oneself, it must take a brilliant mind. I wonder what breakthroughs would happen if those philosophers had been born in our times. We could sure use their help.
March 18, 2021
The Enlightenment was a direct challenge to the status quo when intolerant and superstitious religious beliefs dominated most lives. Christians agreed that Christianity was a revealed religion. Christ had sacrificed himself to secure salvation. The masses learned of salvation through the medium of The Bible, the literal Word of God. John Locke advocated a study of the Bible alone in the optimistic hope that everyone would agree on its literal interpretation.
"Other Enlightenment scholars looked to diminish the power of organized religion by examining it from a historical perspective." p.15
They found that there were many ways to understand the meaning of grace and salvation. Spinoza asserted that the Bible was a document of sacred history for Jews and Christians.
"Natural law is essentially a code of behavior passed down from God and applicable to all humans, which upholds the natural order of things." p.18
The Enlightenment was profoundly anti-religious.
"Other Enlightenment scholars looked to diminish the power of organized religion by examining it from a historical perspective." p.15
They found that there were many ways to understand the meaning of grace and salvation. Spinoza asserted that the Bible was a document of sacred history for Jews and Christians.
"Natural law is essentially a code of behavior passed down from God and applicable to all humans, which upholds the natural order of things." p.18
The Enlightenment was profoundly anti-religious.
July 24, 2025
An excellent little work that provides enough of an introduction to the most prominent thinkers and ideas of the Enlightenment for the reader to then independently pursue with regards to his own interest.
October 10, 2021
(Hourly History, "Age of Enlightenment," Kindle Ed., 2016, p. 18)
“Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life.” —William Blake
...and for your words because now you are a grown-up who got shame.
The book is well-written. Despite its short length, it is sufficiently informative and easy to read and learn even for beginners of the subject.
There is an impact the book leaves behind to the readers. It tells in detail how the Enlightenment ideas still rule the world, not only the West, but all so-called the "right-minded" nations and societies.
(Kindle Ed., p. 3)
The Age of Enlightenment is the defining intellectual and cultural movement of the modern world. In the simplest terms possible, the Enlightenment was born of the idea that all human beings share the same basic needs and as such should enjoy the same rights and privileges. Enlightenment philosophers believed that human reason, rationality, and benevolence would lead to the natural progression of society and the betterment of life on Earth...
Correction: Modern West, not modern world, and in the West, not on Earth.
At the beginning, the book seems to go one-sided. But the book is written in English for English speakers. And, ultimately, the book earns five stars after all as the author addresses that ”imbalanced” perspective among the many Enlightenment thinkers before the book ends.
(Kindle Ed., pp. 35-36)
...the Enlightenment only encouraged Eurocentrism and fortified the West’s belief that it was superior to the rest of the world. During this period in history, the West colonized, oppressed, and exploited the people of other nations and races on a grander scale than ever before. The Age of Enlightenment was also the Age of the Slave Trade. While for some the Enlightenment was the precursor to the scientific revolution and the glories of modernity, for others it was the precursor to modern imperialism and racism. Where some might point to the Enlightenment’s claim that all human beings are equal and need only look to reason to find salvation, others see the Enlightenment’s intolerance of everything...Few other movements in history have been the subject of as much study, debate, and writing as the Enlightenment. What the Enlightenment was and why it still matters today preoccupies the intellectual life of many and is a subject this book has tried to illuminate for readers today.
Lastly, the book vividly describes the 18th-century Enlightenment culture among the intellectuals giving the readers chances to create vivid images of the Age of Enlightenment in our heads, which is great as the main purpose of reading is to use our brain for imaginations.
You can read the full review here.
“Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life.” —William Blake
...and for your words because now you are a grown-up who got shame.
The book is well-written. Despite its short length, it is sufficiently informative and easy to read and learn even for beginners of the subject.
There is an impact the book leaves behind to the readers. It tells in detail how the Enlightenment ideas still rule the world, not only the West, but all so-called the "right-minded" nations and societies.
(Kindle Ed., p. 3)
The Age of Enlightenment is the defining intellectual and cultural movement of the modern world. In the simplest terms possible, the Enlightenment was born of the idea that all human beings share the same basic needs and as such should enjoy the same rights and privileges. Enlightenment philosophers believed that human reason, rationality, and benevolence would lead to the natural progression of society and the betterment of life on Earth...
Correction: Modern West, not modern world, and in the West, not on Earth.
At the beginning, the book seems to go one-sided. But the book is written in English for English speakers. And, ultimately, the book earns five stars after all as the author addresses that ”imbalanced” perspective among the many Enlightenment thinkers before the book ends.
(Kindle Ed., pp. 35-36)
...the Enlightenment only encouraged Eurocentrism and fortified the West’s belief that it was superior to the rest of the world. During this period in history, the West colonized, oppressed, and exploited the people of other nations and races on a grander scale than ever before. The Age of Enlightenment was also the Age of the Slave Trade. While for some the Enlightenment was the precursor to the scientific revolution and the glories of modernity, for others it was the precursor to modern imperialism and racism. Where some might point to the Enlightenment’s claim that all human beings are equal and need only look to reason to find salvation, others see the Enlightenment’s intolerance of everything...Few other movements in history have been the subject of as much study, debate, and writing as the Enlightenment. What the Enlightenment was and why it still matters today preoccupies the intellectual life of many and is a subject this book has tried to illuminate for readers today.
Lastly, the book vividly describes the 18th-century Enlightenment culture among the intellectuals giving the readers chances to create vivid images of the Age of Enlightenment in our heads, which is great as the main purpose of reading is to use our brain for imaginations.
You can read the full review here.
December 10, 2020
This free ebook could be very useful to someone getting ready to do research but hasn't picked a subject yet. It's fact filled, spilt up into quite small chunks, and talks about the women as well as the men who were involved. Everyone discussed in this book are European, since it was basically a European movement. My criticism of the book is that all discussion about the negatives were pretty much relegated to a short conclusion section. It had a global impact, but that was only briefly noted. It's definitely only a jumping off point, to introduce you to the names and some of the events.
November 22, 2023
Tentang Pencerahan dalam sebuah sejarah hingga akhir. Isinya menarik tentang berbagai kumpulan pemikiran dari tokoh-tokoh pencerahan seperti Immanuel Kant, Huygens, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Condorcet. Menjadi sumber referensi dalam pembahasan sejarah pencerahan.
“Sapere aude! 'Have courage to use your own reason!'- that is the motto of enlightenment.”
—Immanuel Kant
“Sapere aude! 'Have courage to use your own reason!'- that is the motto of enlightenment.”
—Immanuel Kant
November 14, 2020
Good brief little book
May 5, 2025
Great overview of the Age of Enlightenment that piqued my desire to learn more.
August 16, 2020
3 stars & 3/10 hearts. Obviously, I don’t agree with everything in here, but I was impressed. The book was well-written, well-researched, well-formatted, well-edited, & basically really well done. The only thing I disliked was that there was a strong anti-religion/anti-God feeling.
November 17, 2020
A breif but excellent summary of the age of the enlightenment, one of the most defining moments in Western history. This is more of a summary than an exposition, but as a sumarry it hits on the most important points of reference in terms of what the enlightenment was and how it changed the way the Western world functioned in the realm of politics, philosophy and of course religion.
As it writes, "the Enlightenment can be understood as a direct challenge to the status quo at a time when intolerant and superstious beliefs dominated most people's lives." The fact that it emerged at least in part as an answer to the dominant religious power of the day (Catholicism) suggests that one cannot understand the enlightenment without understand religion, and specifically its offshoot or direct child, the Reformation. One of the reasons I personally wanted to read this book was to refamiliarize myself with the impact of the Enlightenment on religious thought, especially because so much of the dialogue and division that exists today revolves around these particular influences. If the history of this era begins by setting the stage for much of what motivated what largely began as philosphical movement, then this shift from old world belief to new world rationalism become the necessary stepping stone to seeing how the Protestant Reformation also emerged as the defining voice of Western Christianity and the odd mix of new world religion and secularism that defines this part of the world today.
As the final concluding chapter points out, the Enlightenment is far from a universal idea. Not only is it defined by a wide diversity of philosophers and eventually a wide diversity of science in the subsequent scientific revolution, it is also defined by a wide diversity of theologians and Christian movements. In contest since its emergence is this seeming tension between reason as our salvation and the idea of limited knowledge which has led to a confusing emergence of competing ideas of liberation. The Enlightenment has both broadened and narrowed our world view while also failing to achieve the kind of utopian ideas it lays claim to. This is true whether we are speaking of the new political economy it ushered in, the scientific revolution, and even its ability to answer the questions raised by its increasing knowledge of space, humanity, history, medicine and culture (including the rise of things like the printing press). What Enlightenment idealists often like to believe is that these ideas, which are seen as fundamental to human function and participation in the world, are integral for things like anti-racist policies and women's liberation and autonomy and individual freedom to take hold. What they often do in the process of this percieved sweeping change of old world function and values is both neglect and ignore history in the wider sense while reinterpreting it according to Enlightenment ideals. In the process it not only brought in new types of discrimination, but it began to cripple its ability to actually ask and explore questions of morality and certainly spirituality in the process. It essentially categorized history into two parts, narrowing in on the present as a demonstration of "progress" dependent on consistant forward movement. This is the idea that who we are today is better and more advanced and closer to perfection than we were yesterday, and the reason we can know this is by trusting the power of human ingenuity, conquest and reason. The excellent chapter on morality reveals how contested this was even with the early philosophers. If "the enlightenment began as a philsophical group of ideas witih the common themes of reason and progress", there is great debate over where it ends and whether reason and progress are in fact the saviors they were promised to be.
This gets even more pertinant for people of faith as we look at how these same Enlightenment values were a smiliar driving force for the Reformation. It is not hard to see how this developed to use similar language and similar kinds of reasoning to make its case, becoming similarly devoted to indivdiualism, rationalism, and forms of knowledge in the process. There is a sense in which the Reformers, and the Christendom that came to define the modern Western world in its wake, left behind the basic tenants of its faith much in the same way that Enlightenment thinkers eventually grew to abandon the basic tenants of humanity. What emerged, both in religion and society, is this notion that by doing away with given or revealed knowledge we can create this knowledge and essentially save ourselves. A reasoned faith replaces a spiritual faith all while "reason" has failed to show that it can function apart from old world values and alturism. And for all the progress that came from the Enlightenment, the devastating impact this had on numerous elements of our Western world, and the world at large, looms equally large.
As it writes, "the Enlightenment can be understood as a direct challenge to the status quo at a time when intolerant and superstious beliefs dominated most people's lives." The fact that it emerged at least in part as an answer to the dominant religious power of the day (Catholicism) suggests that one cannot understand the enlightenment without understand religion, and specifically its offshoot or direct child, the Reformation. One of the reasons I personally wanted to read this book was to refamiliarize myself with the impact of the Enlightenment on religious thought, especially because so much of the dialogue and division that exists today revolves around these particular influences. If the history of this era begins by setting the stage for much of what motivated what largely began as philosphical movement, then this shift from old world belief to new world rationalism become the necessary stepping stone to seeing how the Protestant Reformation also emerged as the defining voice of Western Christianity and the odd mix of new world religion and secularism that defines this part of the world today.
As the final concluding chapter points out, the Enlightenment is far from a universal idea. Not only is it defined by a wide diversity of philosophers and eventually a wide diversity of science in the subsequent scientific revolution, it is also defined by a wide diversity of theologians and Christian movements. In contest since its emergence is this seeming tension between reason as our salvation and the idea of limited knowledge which has led to a confusing emergence of competing ideas of liberation. The Enlightenment has both broadened and narrowed our world view while also failing to achieve the kind of utopian ideas it lays claim to. This is true whether we are speaking of the new political economy it ushered in, the scientific revolution, and even its ability to answer the questions raised by its increasing knowledge of space, humanity, history, medicine and culture (including the rise of things like the printing press). What Enlightenment idealists often like to believe is that these ideas, which are seen as fundamental to human function and participation in the world, are integral for things like anti-racist policies and women's liberation and autonomy and individual freedom to take hold. What they often do in the process of this percieved sweeping change of old world function and values is both neglect and ignore history in the wider sense while reinterpreting it according to Enlightenment ideals. In the process it not only brought in new types of discrimination, but it began to cripple its ability to actually ask and explore questions of morality and certainly spirituality in the process. It essentially categorized history into two parts, narrowing in on the present as a demonstration of "progress" dependent on consistant forward movement. This is the idea that who we are today is better and more advanced and closer to perfection than we were yesterday, and the reason we can know this is by trusting the power of human ingenuity, conquest and reason. The excellent chapter on morality reveals how contested this was even with the early philosophers. If "the enlightenment began as a philsophical group of ideas witih the common themes of reason and progress", there is great debate over where it ends and whether reason and progress are in fact the saviors they were promised to be.
This gets even more pertinant for people of faith as we look at how these same Enlightenment values were a smiliar driving force for the Reformation. It is not hard to see how this developed to use similar language and similar kinds of reasoning to make its case, becoming similarly devoted to indivdiualism, rationalism, and forms of knowledge in the process. There is a sense in which the Reformers, and the Christendom that came to define the modern Western world in its wake, left behind the basic tenants of its faith much in the same way that Enlightenment thinkers eventually grew to abandon the basic tenants of humanity. What emerged, both in religion and society, is this notion that by doing away with given or revealed knowledge we can create this knowledge and essentially save ourselves. A reasoned faith replaces a spiritual faith all while "reason" has failed to show that it can function apart from old world values and alturism. And for all the progress that came from the Enlightenment, the devastating impact this had on numerous elements of our Western world, and the world at large, looms equally large.
March 17, 2021
Like all of the Hourly History books I've read so far (except for Hourly History's book on the Industrial Revolution, which I gave only two stars), this history was excellent: it was "proportionate" in terms of neither overemphasizing nor underemphasizing given subcategories of its subject, and offers a great gateway drug into the subject for those unfamiliar with it.
(I knew a great deal about the Enlightenment already before beginning this book, but while I've read many, many books that discuss the subject at great length (e.g. Frederick Copleston's eleven-volume A History of Philosophy), until now I've never read an entire book devoted exclusively to it, so I chose this as the first of several such histories I will read by the end of 2021.)
I only reluctantly gave it four instead of five stars on the following grounds: at the end of the book, when it discusses both the positive and the negative impacts of the Enlightenment, it included as two of the negative aspects "Western racism" and "Western imperialism."
While these points are true, it is important to understand that the Enlightenment also accelerated the individualist trend since the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity toward assigning higher moral priority to the individual (which the book rightly notes and celebrates in other places).
It was this trend that ultimately resulted in the abolition of the barbaric, Luciferian practice of slavery, a uniquely Western accomplishment; non-Western countries have abolished slavery only due to the influence of the West.
It was also only in very modern time that "imperialism" came to be considered evil in principle; for this, the Enlightenment (the good parts of it, anyway) also deserves credit.
Additionally, in the world today and in particular in the West, "racial identity" matters to people less than ever before. People forget that the norm throughout the vast majority of history was rabid, violent ingroup preference for one's race or ethnicity. The Enlightenment, and Christianity before it, are a main reason for this.
If I were writing this review ten years ago, I wouldn't have bothered to criticize these few points, since they occur in merely two or three sentences toward the end. However, given the rabid, cultural Marxist war on the law of identity that has swept Western countries the past six years, it is more important than it has been in a long time to get this point right.
(I knew a great deal about the Enlightenment already before beginning this book, but while I've read many, many books that discuss the subject at great length (e.g. Frederick Copleston's eleven-volume A History of Philosophy), until now I've never read an entire book devoted exclusively to it, so I chose this as the first of several such histories I will read by the end of 2021.)
I only reluctantly gave it four instead of five stars on the following grounds: at the end of the book, when it discusses both the positive and the negative impacts of the Enlightenment, it included as two of the negative aspects "Western racism" and "Western imperialism."
While these points are true, it is important to understand that the Enlightenment also accelerated the individualist trend since the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity toward assigning higher moral priority to the individual (which the book rightly notes and celebrates in other places).
It was this trend that ultimately resulted in the abolition of the barbaric, Luciferian practice of slavery, a uniquely Western accomplishment; non-Western countries have abolished slavery only due to the influence of the West.
It was also only in very modern time that "imperialism" came to be considered evil in principle; for this, the Enlightenment (the good parts of it, anyway) also deserves credit.
Additionally, in the world today and in particular in the West, "racial identity" matters to people less than ever before. People forget that the norm throughout the vast majority of history was rabid, violent ingroup preference for one's race or ethnicity. The Enlightenment, and Christianity before it, are a main reason for this.
If I were writing this review ten years ago, I wouldn't have bothered to criticize these few points, since they occur in merely two or three sentences toward the end. However, given the rabid, cultural Marxist war on the law of identity that has swept Western countries the past six years, it is more important than it has been in a long time to get this point right.
April 29, 2025
Based on the available information about Age of Enlightenment: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History, here are five main takeaways from the book, focusing on its key themes and insights about the Enlightenment:
1. Reason as the Core Value: The Enlightenment was defined by its emphasis on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy. The book highlights how this intellectual movement believed progress and the betterment of the human condition were inevitable through rational thought, challenging traditional structures like the Church, State, and Monarchy.
2. Birth of Modern Disciplines: The philosophies of the Enlightenment gave rise to foundational disciplines such as political science, economic theory, sociology, and anthropology. These fields, born from Enlightenment ideas, continue to shape how we understand society and human behavior in the 21st century.
3. Challenge to the Status Quo: The Enlightenment was a bold intellectual revolt against established institutions. It promoted ideas of individual liberty, freedom of expression, and the separation of church and state, which fueled revolutionary movements like the French and American Revolutions.
4. Influence of Great Thinkers: The book covers key figures such as Descartes, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Diderot, whose ideas laid the groundwork for Enlightenment thought. Their contributions in philosophy, science, and political theory were pivotal in shifting perspectives toward reason and empirical inquiry.
5. Cultural and Global Impact: The Enlightenment reshaped public life in Europe and beyond, fostering print culture, public discourse, and scientific advancement. While it championed universal rights, the book also notes debates about its mixed legacy, including its role in both promoting equality and enabling imperialism.
These takeaways reflect the book’s concise overview of the Enlightenment as a transformative movement, though it is noted for being brief and lacking detailed references.
1. Reason as the Core Value: The Enlightenment was defined by its emphasis on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy. The book highlights how this intellectual movement believed progress and the betterment of the human condition were inevitable through rational thought, challenging traditional structures like the Church, State, and Monarchy.
2. Birth of Modern Disciplines: The philosophies of the Enlightenment gave rise to foundational disciplines such as political science, economic theory, sociology, and anthropology. These fields, born from Enlightenment ideas, continue to shape how we understand society and human behavior in the 21st century.
3. Challenge to the Status Quo: The Enlightenment was a bold intellectual revolt against established institutions. It promoted ideas of individual liberty, freedom of expression, and the separation of church and state, which fueled revolutionary movements like the French and American Revolutions.
4. Influence of Great Thinkers: The book covers key figures such as Descartes, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Diderot, whose ideas laid the groundwork for Enlightenment thought. Their contributions in philosophy, science, and political theory were pivotal in shifting perspectives toward reason and empirical inquiry.
5. Cultural and Global Impact: The Enlightenment reshaped public life in Europe and beyond, fostering print culture, public discourse, and scientific advancement. While it championed universal rights, the book also notes debates about its mixed legacy, including its role in both promoting equality and enabling imperialism.
These takeaways reflect the book’s concise overview of the Enlightenment as a transformative movement, though it is noted for being brief and lacking detailed references.
May 12, 2017
“Sapere aude! ‘Have courage to use your own reason!’ That is the motto of enlightenment.”
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Europe has gone through different social, religious, political, and scientific phases of time, starting with the renaissance and reformation (14th to 17th century) and then continuing into the age of enlightenment (1680-1800). During this time, individuals were breaking away from the past and tradition and beginning to ask questions of topics that were forbidden a couple of centuries earlier. New discoveries were made and new revolutionary ideas were being formed. Great thinkers, writers, and especially philosophers as John Locke (1632-1704), Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Charles Louis de Secondat (1689-1755), and Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) made a name for themselves and in a very personal way changed the world around them. A multitude of names that are familiar even today, as Voltaire, Rene Descartes (“I think, therefore I am.”), Christian Wolff, and Immanuel Kant served to change the way people thought and acted. These people combined to eventually spur the public into action. This resulted in the Revolutionary War in North America and later the French Revolution.
I must confess that I enjoy reading about the results, but I find the path followed rather tedious. The world is made up of thinkers and doers and they are both necessary to incite change. I suppose I identify more with the latter than the former. This book offers a bird’s eye view of this period of change and can serve as an inspiration to delve further into this fascinating period.
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Europe has gone through different social, religious, political, and scientific phases of time, starting with the renaissance and reformation (14th to 17th century) and then continuing into the age of enlightenment (1680-1800). During this time, individuals were breaking away from the past and tradition and beginning to ask questions of topics that were forbidden a couple of centuries earlier. New discoveries were made and new revolutionary ideas were being formed. Great thinkers, writers, and especially philosophers as John Locke (1632-1704), Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Charles Louis de Secondat (1689-1755), and Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) made a name for themselves and in a very personal way changed the world around them. A multitude of names that are familiar even today, as Voltaire, Rene Descartes (“I think, therefore I am.”), Christian Wolff, and Immanuel Kant served to change the way people thought and acted. These people combined to eventually spur the public into action. This resulted in the Revolutionary War in North America and later the French Revolution.
I must confess that I enjoy reading about the results, but I find the path followed rather tedious. The world is made up of thinkers and doers and they are both necessary to incite change. I suppose I identify more with the latter than the former. This book offers a bird’s eye view of this period of change and can serve as an inspiration to delve further into this fascinating period.
November 12, 2020
This was a time when knowledge was considered valuable and new areas popped up such as economic theory, anthropology, sociology, anthropology and modern philosophy. The basic order of things was the Renaissance which led to the Reformation which led to the Scientific Revolution.
The book notes that this time period is generally from the 1680's through the early 1800s.
This was also a multi-nation event. Some examples it gives includes Francis Bacon (English), Adam Smith (Scotland) and Kant (Germany). The book notes it was also a time of warfare. The book goes into details about all of this but the thing that stood out to me most is this from Voltaire:
Civilized beauty could only flourish if its members were respectful of each other's differences. Very excellent advice but something that nations and people both seem to avoid.
The book notes that this time period is generally from the 1680's through the early 1800s.
This was also a multi-nation event. Some examples it gives includes Francis Bacon (English), Adam Smith (Scotland) and Kant (Germany). The book notes it was also a time of warfare. The book goes into details about all of this but the thing that stood out to me most is this from Voltaire:
Civilized beauty could only flourish if its members were respectful of each other's differences. Very excellent advice but something that nations and people both seem to avoid.
March 17, 2023
This was solid.
If you want an introduction to the Enlightenment: all the names, the time frames, the thoughts, the overall frame of it, this book is a great place. Simple reading, easy to understand concepts, and an easy frame.
However, because it's an overview of the entire movement, the glossing of the negative aspects (and leaving it to the conclusion) is not the best. I understand wanting to get the positives in first, but the negatives are spoken about in such a cavalier manner. Also, I think a visual timeline in the beginning or the end of the book would help establish some set of order instead of the dates of specific peoples lives, it would be much more tangible.
If you want an introduction to the Enlightenment: all the names, the time frames, the thoughts, the overall frame of it, this book is a great place. Simple reading, easy to understand concepts, and an easy frame.
However, because it's an overview of the entire movement, the glossing of the negative aspects (and leaving it to the conclusion) is not the best. I understand wanting to get the positives in first, but the negatives are spoken about in such a cavalier manner. Also, I think a visual timeline in the beginning or the end of the book would help establish some set of order instead of the dates of specific peoples lives, it would be much more tangible.
January 5, 2021
Very interesting and enlighting giving a better perspective of today's world.
With internet giving access to treasure of unlimited knowledge at little expense and spread of education such books would accelerate change to make world a global village with peace, prosperity, equality and tolerance generating consensus and harmony world over without need of a war or violence.
I would have given 5 stars but felt need of more details.
With internet giving access to treasure of unlimited knowledge at little expense and spread of education such books would accelerate change to make world a global village with peace, prosperity, equality and tolerance generating consensus and harmony world over without need of a war or violence.
I would have given 5 stars but felt need of more details.
February 20, 2021
This is a very brief overview of the history and main characters of the Enlightenment. The concepts and vocabulary are too advanced for most children while the treatment of the subject matter is too superficial for a serious adult. It could serve as an introduction for someone unfamiliar with the Enlightenment, but with no references, citations, or bibliography, it doesn’t offer much in the way of guidance on next steps. Still, I found it to be somehow satisfying.
November 7, 2021
Really good read. I enjoyed that it broke down several people involved from several countries. And I always love that these book show both sides of the event and how it impacts the people on both sides of the truth. With this book it brought about many changes in lives and science but not all of them were necessarily a good thing. Being an unbiased depiction makes it a more interesting read. As no history does not have two sides of the story.
January 16, 2023
For an hourly history book, this one was well-done. It sure beats reading all the texts of the Enlightenment's philosophers, scholars, academics, etc. It provides a broad overview of the various schools of thought at work in the Enlightenment. Paradoxically, at the time of such intellectual free-thinking, this was the era of the diabolical Slave Trade and equally nefarious colonization by Euro-centric powers that some would contend continues to this very day.
June 25, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Honestly I wish it was a little longer because I could keep on reading about the Englightenmen for ages. It was really interesting. This was such an important time in our history. Obviously we wouldn't be where we are now without it. Also, I really liked the quotes at the start of each chapter.
June 9, 2019
Great Brief Look at the Enlightenment
One of the better in the Hourly History series. A good look at the Enlightenment and many of the major philosophies and philosophers. Covering Religion, economy, politics, feminism and philosophical development, the book provides a good overview of major items in a very quick and easy read.
One of the better in the Hourly History series. A good look at the Enlightenment and many of the major philosophies and philosophers. Covering Religion, economy, politics, feminism and philosophical development, the book provides a good overview of major items in a very quick and easy read.
October 16, 2019
Yet anoth classic by hourly history. Great 👍👍👍
Great book on enlightment. Hourly history gives you very detailed yet concised interpretation of the topic researched. Here the author clearly mentions different philosophers who were responsible for the age of enlightment. Great going😊
Great book on enlightment. Hourly history gives you very detailed yet concised interpretation of the topic researched. Here the author clearly mentions different philosophers who were responsible for the age of enlightment. Great going😊
January 1, 2021
Interesting
As all of the books in this series, this book is a rough overview and a short. Hopefully, the reader will be inspired to more reading and dig deeper into the age and its legacy. This is a broad field and the book barely scratches the surface. However, the author gives a good introduction. Enjoyable and quick read.
As all of the books in this series, this book is a rough overview and a short. Hopefully, the reader will be inspired to more reading and dig deeper into the age and its legacy. This is a broad field and the book barely scratches the surface. However, the author gives a good introduction. Enjoyable and quick read.
January 8, 2025
An Ongoing Issue
A brief but wholesome oversight of a complex issue which still holds its global sway today. Balanced, with no particular agenda, this work reminds the reader of the human needs for authority, materialism and spirituality to be sought most beneficially for all humankind.
A brief but wholesome oversight of a complex issue which still holds its global sway today. Balanced, with no particular agenda, this work reminds the reader of the human needs for authority, materialism and spirituality to be sought most beneficially for all humankind.
June 21, 2018
Fascinating
A quick look at The Age of Enlightenment by comparing the various writers of the time in England, France, Germany and Scotland speaks of their influence on religion, economics, science, politics and social reforms.
A quick look at The Age of Enlightenment by comparing the various writers of the time in England, France, Germany and Scotland speaks of their influence on religion, economics, science, politics and social reforms.
January 9, 2019
Thinkers versus doers.
Life and history produces doers and philosophers. At certain times it was acceptable to write your thoughts and continue to live. However other times produced similar thoughts not accepted by the power.
Life and history produces doers and philosophers. At certain times it was acceptable to write your thoughts and continue to live. However other times produced similar thoughts not accepted by the power.
April 23, 2019
Age of Enlightenment marked a watershed in the history of mankind. It transformed understanding of objective conditions. Hourly History brings forth how it all came about and what were the consequences of this enlightenment.
October 25, 2020
Quick synopsis
A very quick and light synopsis of the enlightenment. It might give a couple thoughts of the enlightenment’s place in history but really does not delve very deeply into its place in historical context.
A very quick and light synopsis of the enlightenment. It might give a couple thoughts of the enlightenment’s place in history but really does not delve very deeply into its place in historical context.
March 27, 2021
A very good read
This book was packed full of information & insight on the Age of Enlightenment.
a strong overview of the the changing social / political / economic / and Religious systems of the time and the philosophies that still influence and shape the word of today
This book was packed full of information & insight on the Age of Enlightenment.
a strong overview of the the changing social / political / economic / and Religious systems of the time and the philosophies that still influence and shape the word of today
February 21, 2023
Uplifting and teachable
Gives you a shot but a good understanding of the Age of Enlightenment, what it means, what it was and how it effected the society we live now and back the.
A good, quick and pleasant read.
Gives you a shot but a good understanding of the Age of Enlightenment, what it means, what it was and how it effected the society we live now and back the.
A good, quick and pleasant read.
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