Ernst Cassirer's The Philosophy of the Enlightenment presents an insightful exploration of the intellectual movement that sought to liberate human thought from the constraints of tradition and superstition. Cassirer skillfully examines the Enlightenment's foundational ideals of reason, freedom, and progress, highlighting how philosophers like Kant, Voltaire, and Rousseau endeavored to reconstruct knowledge on the basis of critical inquiry and universal principles. His analysis reveals the dialectic between the movement’s optimistic faith in human rationality and the challenges posed by emerging scientific discoveries and social transformations. By tracing the cultural and philosophical currents of the 18th century, Cassirer illuminates the Enlightenment not merely as a historical epoch but as an enduring framework that continues to shape modern conceptions of knowledge, ethics, and society.
Ernst Cassirer's The Philosophy of the Enlightenment presents an insightful exploration of the intellectual movement that sought to liberate human thought from the constraints of tradition and superstition. Cassirer skillfully examines the Enlightenment's foundational ideals of reason, freedom, and progress, highlighting how philosophers like Kant, Voltaire, and Rousseau endeavored to reconstruct knowledge on the basis of critical inquiry and universal principles. His analysis reveals the dialectic between the movement’s optimistic faith in human rationality and the challenges posed by emerging scientific discoveries and social transformations. By tracing the cultural and philosophical currents of the 18th century, Cassirer illuminates the Enlightenment not merely as a historical epoch but as an enduring framework that continues to shape modern conceptions of knowledge, ethics, and society.
Princeton University Press, 1951 softcover. Lovely copy of this edition, very clean internally and some minor shelf wear to outer cover. Overall, very good condition
