Event Description
The Enlightenment has come under substantial attack over the past several years, with some going so far as to recommend leaving its thinkers—and their Eurocentric prejudices—behind. On the other hand, the most orthodox defenders of the Enlightenment insist that its values are not just foundational but indispensable and that leaving them behind means opening the door to nihilism and relativism.
Opposed to both these sides, this talk emphasizes a non-dogmatic, non-ideological view of the Enlightenment—one that sees its legacy as a critical, subversive attitude that can and should serve as its own best critic. It will engage with everyone from Rousseau and Kant to Foucault and Habermas, offering a new reading of the Enlightenment that breathes life into old debates and offers an alternative way to engage with canonical thinkers and traditions that is both honest about the past and useful for the future.
Event Information
Free and open to the public; registration required. For more information, please visit the event webpage.
Hosted by Maison Francaise at Columbia University.
