Volume 7, Number 12 · January 12, 1967
Cultivating the Enlightenment
By John Weightman
The Enlightenment: An Interpretation, The Rise of Modern Paganism
by Peter Gay
Knopf, 555 pp., $8.95
The eighteenth-century movement of thought, which is referred to seriously or ironically as the Enlightenment, set out to destroy myths, but it long ago became a myth itself. Since it immediately preceded the Revolution of 1789, it was held to be responsible for that far-reaching phenomenon, and the leading French figures of the siècle des lumières have been praised or blamed accordingly ever since by succeeding generations.
Review, 2672 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |