The Enlightenment: And Why it Still Matters by Anthony Pagden (English) Paperbac

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The story of how, and why, the ideal of a universal, global, and cosmopolitan society became such a central part of the Western imagination in the ferment of the Enlightenment - and how these ideas have done battle with an inward-looking, tradition-oriented view of the world ever since.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

The Enlightenment and Why It Still Matters tells nothing less than the story of how the modern, Western view of the world was born. Cultural and intellectual historian Anthony Pagden explains how, and why, the ideal of a universal, global, and cosmopolitan society became such a central part of the Western imagination in the ferment of the Enlightenment - and how these ideas have done battle with an inward-looking, tradition-oriented view of the world eversince. Cosmopolitanism is an ancient creed; but in its modern form it was a creature of the Enlightenment attempt to create a new 'science of man', based upon a vision of humanity made upof autonomous individuals, free from all the constraints imposed by custom, prejudice, and religion. As Pagden shows, this 'new science' was based not simply on 'cold, calculating reason', as its critics claimed, but on the argument that all humans are linked by what in the Enlightenment were called 'sympathetic' attachments. The conclusion was that despite the many tribes and nations into which humanity was divided there was only one 'human nature', and that the final destiny of the speciescould only be the creation of one universal, cosmopolitan society. This new 'human science' provided the philosophical grounding of the modern world. It has been the inspirationbehind the League of Nations, the United Nations and the European Union. Without it, international law, global justice, and human rights legislation would be unthinkable. As Anthony Pagden argues passionately and persuasively in this book, it is a legacy well worth preserving - and one that might yet come to inherit the earth.

Notes

The fascinating story of how the modern, Western view of the world was born. It offers an insightful panorama of Enlightenment thought, and persuasively argues that Enlightenment principles matter now as never before. New in paperback.

Author Biography

Anthony Pagden has published widely on both Spanish and European history and has worked as a translator and as a publisher in addition to his many academic posts. He taught at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard before a professorship at Johns Hopkins University, and he is currently Distinguished Professor of Political Science and History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His most recent book prior to this one, Worlds at War: The2,500 Year Struggle Between East and West, was also published by Oxford University Press.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is Enlightenment?1: All Coherence Gone2: Bringing Pity Back In3: The Fatherless World4: The Science of Man5: Discovering Man in Nature6: The Defence of Civilization7: The Great Society of Mankind8: The Vast Commonwealth of NatureConclusion: Enlightenment and its EnemiesNotesBibliographyIndex

Review

`Anthony Pagden writes as elegantly as any philosophe, as learnedly as any encyclopédiste, and with a breadth of culture and lightness of touch that make the enemies of the Enlightenment seem dreary and dim.'Felipe Fernández-Armesto, University of Notre Dame and author of 1492: The Year Our World Began`Anthony Pagden has produced a spirited celebration of the values of the European Enlightenment... Whatever one thinks of the enlightenment legacy (and the jury is still out), this is a powerful defence, worthy of interest from admirers and detractors alike.'Martti Koskenniemi, University of Helsinki and former member of the International Law Commission`This is not only a vivid, exciting, and wonderfully well-written history of the Enlightenment, but a rousing defence of the 'enlightenment project.' Anthony Pagden has an enviable talent for bringing his heroes and villains to life.'Alan Ryan, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Oxford University

Long Description

The Enlightenment and Why It Still Matters tells nothing less than the story of how the modern, Western view of the world was born. Cultural and intellectual historian Anthony Pagden explains how, and why, the ideal of a universal, global, and cosmopolitan society became such a central part of the Western imagination in the ferment of the Enlightenment - and how these ideas have done battle with an inward-looking, tradition-oriented view of the world eversince. Cosmopolitanism is an ancient creed; but in its modern form it was a creature of the Enlightenment attempt to create a new 'science of man', based upon a vision of humanity made upof autonomous individuals, free from all the constraints imposed by custom, prejudice, and religion. As Pagden shows, this 'new science' was based not simply on 'cold, calculating reason', as its critics claimed, but on the argument that all humans are linked by what in the Enlightenment were called 'sympathetic' attachments. The conclusion was that despite the many tribes and nations into which humanity was divided there was only one 'human nature', and that the final destiny of the speciescould only be the creation of one universal, cosmopolitan society. This new 'human science' provided the philosophical grounding of the modern world. It has been the inspirationbehind the League of Nations, the United Nations and the European Union. Without it, international law, global justice, and human rights legislation would be unthinkable. As Anthony Pagden argues passionately and persuasively in this book, it is a legacy well worth preserving - and one that might yet come to inherit the earth.

Review Text

`Anthony Pagden writes as elegantly as any philosophe, as learnedly as any encyclopédiste, and with a breadth of culture and lightness of touch that make the enemies of the Enlightenment seem dreary and dim. 'Felipe Fernández-Armesto, University of Notre Dame and author of 1492: The Year Our World Began`Anthony Pagden has produced a spirited celebration of the values of the European Enlightenment... Whatever one thinks of the enlightenment legacy (and the jury is still out), this is a powerful defence, worthy of interest from admirers and detractors alike. 'Martti Koskenniemi, University of Helsinki and former member of the International Law Commission`This is not only a vivid, exciting, and wonderfully well-written history of the Enlightenment, but a rousing defence of the 'enlightenment project.' Anthony Pagden has an enviable talent for bringing his heroes and villains to life. 'Alan Ryan, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Oxford University

Review Quote

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Feature

The story of how the modern, Western view of the world was bornA fascinating panorama of Enlightenment thought, taking the reader from the drawing rooms of eighteenth-century Paris to the islands of the South PacificShows how - and why - the universal, cosmopolitan ideal became such a central part of the Western cultural and political imaginationPersuasively argues that Enlightenment principles matter now as much as ever before

Details ISBN0198700881 Author Anthony Pagden Year 2015 ISBN-10 0198700881 ISBN-13 9780198700883 Format Paperback Media Book Subtitle And Why it Still Matters Place of Publication Oxford Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 940.253 Short Title The Enlightenment Language English UK Release Date 2015-02-05 NZ Release Date 2015-02-05 Illustrations 8pp black and white plates Pages 466 Publisher Oxford University Press Publication Date 2015-02-05 Imprint Oxford University Press Audience Tertiary & Higher Education AU Release Date 2015-02-18 We've got this

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