Books like Enlightenment by Ritchie Robertson

Candide: A Tale of Conviviality and Optimism in a Wretched World

Anthony Gottlieb’s The Dream of Enlightenment traces the rapid rise of modern philosophy in 17th‑18th‑century Europe, from Descartes to Hume, exploring how science and religious upheaval reshaped ideas of God, government, and self.

A foundational moment in the history of modern European thought, the Enlightenment continues to be a reference point for philosophers, scholars and opinion-formers. To many it remains the inspiration of our commitments to the betterment of the human condition. To others, it represents the elevation of one set of European values to the world, many of whose peoples have quite different values. But what is the relationship between the historical Enlightenment and the idea of 'Enlightenment', and can these two understandings be reconciled? In this Very Short Introduction, John Robertson offers a concise historical introduction to the Enlightenment as an intellectual movement of eighteenth-century Europe. Discussing its intellectual achievements, he also explores how its supporters exploited new ways of communicating their ideas to a wider public, creating a new 'public sphere' for critical discussion of the moral, economic and political issues facing their societies.