Page 48 - History 2020

He concludes, “If it is now asked, “Do we presently live in an enlightened age?” the

answer is, ‘No, but we do live in an age of enlightenment.’ We do have clear
indications that the way is now being opened for men to proceed freely in this
direction and that the obstacles to general enlightenment - to their release from their
self-imposed immaturity - are gradually diminishing. In this regard, this age is the age
of enlightenment, the century of Frederick.”

“Frederick” here refers to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, who was famously
sympathetic to Enlightened ideas; he invited the greatest of the philosophes,

Voltaire, to stay in his palace, and introduced enlightened reforms to his kingdom.

Kant’s essay originated “the Age of Enlightenment” as an idea, but Kant is clearly
more concerned to discuss the meaning of “enlightened”. He does not refer to a
movement or any agreed programme. The reason is that neither existed. Even in the
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19 century neither English nor French historians used the term. It was the American
historians Carl Becker in the 1930’s and his pupil Peter Gay in the 1950’s who created
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the idea of “the Enlightenment” as an 18 century movement, based on the key
ideas of reason, tolerance and progress. As we’ve seen, more recent historians like
Norman Hampson (above) are more cautious about this. Rather than calling it “the
Age of Reason” one suggestion is “the Age of Trying To Be A Bit More Reasonable.”

Nonetheless, Kant’s essay is a good starting point; the Enlightenment was certainly
about the rejection of intellectual authority, whether religious or secular. “Sapere
Aude! [dare to know] ‘Have courage to use your own understanding!’ - that is the

motto of enlightenment” is not a bad summary of what the philosophes were about.
Denis Diderot, Jean D’Alembert and their collaborators applied this by subjecting
previous knowledge to reasoned, enlightened criticism in the celebrated
”Encyclopedia” (first edition pub. 1751, 17 volumes

How did the Enlightenment relate to France’s story of revolution?

The Enlightenment reflects the French philosophical tradition. This tradition is
rationalist, derived from Rene Descartes. Rationalism favours abstract reasoning and
intellectual speculation. This encouraged a critical and radical approach. It originated
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with the 17 century French philosopher Rene Descartes. He is famous for proving
that something at least must exist; me - “I think therefore I am” (cogito ergo sum) he
declared. So I must exist. This argument is a brilliant exercise in pure rationality. It
founded the French philosophical tradition of rationalism. We must beware of
stereotyping entire nations; but many commentators note that France has a strong
tradition of rationalist abstract and utopian thought.