RECLAIMING THE ENLIGHTENMENT Towa a Pouitics oF RADICAL ENGAGEMENT STEPHEN ERIC BRONNERPREFACE wih its peculiar waditon of theory and practic, Ofcourse the sen fist, entry i not the eighteenth: ther x clery mo exact ssn between past and present. The analog it might provide for engaged itll no Jes than its ethical mode for sessing oppressive stratus of omer, eds ‘einerpreain to meet new conditions Rigid notions of progeess have fall ey the wayside; no group or party can any longer cam to incarnate the ‘eas of huraaity, and the intial too often ienifes the university With the wold. mags from teision an fl ater than werd onthe ge now shape the publ sphere. Liberal eines hve afien ben corrupt «by impevialis ambitions and paras elites, Both the left andthe ight have championed totitarianise. The new global expansion of spt, the rie of the bureaucratic ste, medi consoldation, thougiess con sume, degard for the envionment, and eaural ltvsm have all Uundermied the ideals of cosmopolitan tolerance, economic justice, deme cratic accountability, and he dea ofthe “good society” general asacinted vith the Enlightenment But, ithe progressive intlectaal can no longer gurate the reais tion of reasons promis, is sl the Liberal ue of lw with is explicit rivieging fv ibery, the interventonit state as anaget of soc us tice and cosmopolitan movementintent on demanding recognition of te “othe,” dha serve as the preconltion—the condition sine qua non fr ‘tring the ves of indvidals, enabling them to expand the range of ther experiences which s the most baie meaning of progres. Current forms of engagement probably seem more posstian: peta that is the ‘se. But politcal engagement iso less important than in ele te. Univers interests remain realty that the engaged intellectual can . no longer indulge inthe od romantic expectations of “changing the world” In one ell swap. Tee ——r——— r™——C—SGTs——EEEnlightenment intellectuals may have laced hee poll engagement with drama bat hey never into the ep of demanding ll or nothing. To ew the at either wopians or totatarians is philosophically untenable {nd histori absurd. They took the world ait was, and soug odes sith the problems tha it peseted in «pragmatic nd principled way Bu {he word has changed. There sno longer an agen” capable of reaiving the emancipatory values of the Enlightenment. Neither “humanity” no the proletariat north ace colonised peoples can any longer be etd with that Heel ert “the word spi.” Thee is also o longer “republic of Teter” But these changer ar, to often, employed as an excuse for psi ity Thee san even more dive cosmopolitan community feta intel [ccals and ther ests a eve pester ait than heretofore of progres sive ganizations tht dea-and often del postivel—wih rial sues aging fom world hunger othe proteio of individual Herts to an pal rights: Speciing an agent” of ehange or creating a birarchy of causes isneither pousl nr necessary. Telelog has allen bythe waysie andre disng fendom lacks any histori garni, The sue no longer what ty o socal movement or interest group is joined: aber hese eon evs the inital decison to engage politcal ely and the choice ofan eth fel stance capable af fostering slaty between ozzaizatons. That, i bec is where the Enlightenment legacy stil as leo pay. Solidarity should not simply be assumed: the lmdscape ofthe et is sil livre by seoogcal torre inherited fom the 19605. Enlightenment ial ales are important not nly bese they contest narrow orga atonal ambitions that interfere with operate ation ut also because they prose histori and specie orematin for progresive activi andinlectal, That orientation virally vanished following the feagmen- tation ofthe cv sgh and poor peoples movements and the new popula ity accorded he variants of postenodernism apd—what perhaps Tes a he root of them llth lt” brad of crt theory associated with Dike ‘ica Enlgnennent by Max Horkdimer and Theodor Adorno. In keeping vi the decine of ral poll partes and the entiation of ress Ace wit the expreion of subjectivity, the Enlghtenment has been sb jected toa new metaphysical form of immanent” ctiqu. Is pollu (yas thus becomes esondary cancer. The preoccupations ofthe phiowphes with soil and institutional re fon and what Max We ted the “lev aiiy” between thera tus and progressive asi fr change, now ser o recive scant attention, ‘This sal the more unfrtnate since new teansnational movements have oun int existence, fen conf in terms of how they should respond to ‘Vobalization,” alongwith fanctoning transnational pot institutions ‘hat sil sur from a df of loyal. New sommuniation technologies sre providing now organizational poses for pla resitance, ex ning the range of aaable experiences, and opening the wa for New Tightenment now cectved two connotations its hiorial epoch was ‘rounded in an anthropological understanding of ization tha, om the Fist, projected the opposite of progress. Tht ave the book its power: Holheimer and Adorn ofeted ot simply the ertique of sme prior his {orc momeat in tm, but ofall human developient. Thi made pos: be identity enlightenment not with pogaess, asthe piliine bourgeie ‘might ike to eve, but ates-antingy—with barbarism, Auichit, nl what stl oe called “the oll adminisered ose.” ‘Such the picture punted by DialicofEnlghernet. But shoud not ‘be forge that is authors were concerned wh ring elghenment esr, rd the istorcl epoch known the Baigent in parca, from the standpoint of enlightenment self thus the eof the work Their masterpiece was actly "intended to prepare the wy fos postive notion of nlghtenment, which wil ease it fom entanglement in bind domins ton Later infact, Horcmer and Adorno even talked about wring ‘ue that woud ave cri a ite ike "Resin he Ealigheament™ (Ret tanger Auta)? This reclamation projet was never competed, and much time has been spent speculating abot why it wat. The eon Ibe lees tht the log of iagurent imately lef ther witli pose + tei ne tm Dane Coto sa. Viewing instamental ational sequitalet wi the ainaliy of ‘donot, and this tina witha incresng)y seamless Ducati ‘nde, no oom existed any longer for concrete a eve pbc form af Shponion Hotkeimer would thas ultimately embrace qusi-eious ering forthe ttl ther” wie Adorno became interest in form of aster este grounded" neptive deci” Tei great work iit ‘Saat change in cial theory bat ts metaphysical saetvsm ur Fender any pstematc concern with socal movement and poi inst ations Nether of them ever genuinely appreciated the democratic Snuttance ofthe Enlightenment nd thus not ony did they end eran independent ofits pilosophial foundations but lo of ny practical inter ‘exit might sere ‘orc and Adorno never ely espe that in contrast hes tem bie, the blinkered expr, othe fanatis the phitxonbe aways ‘Senco a “greste neret tthe tings of his word a geter confidence rman and his works and his estan, he growing appetite of cast and the ging ese othe unsaid mnd—al ese things frm es doctrine than a spni” Just ag Moatesquiew believe it was the pint ofthe Tavs ater han any te of aw hat assed se commitments th the prt of Ealightenment projected the adil qual ofthat omit eat anda crigue of the bistorcl stations with which even i best Thiers aralways ante Enpirits may deny the existence of “spin of the times” Neverthe ioral epochs can genes anos ah exes Chal stnce toward reality or what might ven be termed a project” wing the diverse patiants in rode intelectual tend or movement? “The Eallghtenment evidenced ich an ethos and. esi stance toward reality with respec towards teasformaio, Making senso ths, howe ‘ris lnpousible without recoginng what Became enea yi com Seiten 10 ci, communica, and what shetoricians tern “pin {pecth" Fo theirpats howesr, Horie nd Adorno believed hat re “stance against the incursions ofthe clare industry jstied the extreme ty aie itnotofen opaque, writing se for whch hey would become foots —or bee, infimows: Tir evnteic and aac stl ina a ry hr hie nF itt 7 he San Eng Epon hci Maa es Daibon 6 4, Plea, he Pry of Hanan: Bsns th Fh Ege (Se Yr Nor fiom tat of Enlightenment intelictusewo debated fist prinips in pb Ty who ints lance wring, who employ satire and wit to deol ish pully and dogma, and who were preccupid wth reaching a gener tulhnce eds readers Lessing pat the ter inthe mos rad form in wat became a popular saying —"Wite just a you speak an it wil be tiv a eter writen oD Alermber in Apel of 765, Va td hat “Twenty foi vem el eer make a revolution: the sll portable book at thy sous that ce dangerous, the Gospel had cos 200 Sesterees the Chin rin would never have been eabind”” Approptsting the Enlightenment for moder call for connecting with the vernacular, This doce ot imply some endorsement af ant Jntllestalsm, Debts in highly specialized els, specially those ofthe rural sciences, obviously demand expertise and insisting tha intelectual rust "reach the mass” has always ben a quesonable svat! The sibs ject under discussion should define the language in whch itis dscused and the terms employed eval they laminate what cannot be id ina simpler way, Hottbsimer and Adorno, however, se the matter dir nly They feared being Integrity the ctre industry, avoided pla "engagement, and turned freedom into the metaphysical sestetic preserve ‘ofthe connoisseur. They beame increasing incapable ofapreiting the ‘olitarian impels generated by the Enlightenment andthe ability of is ‘Mvociter—en Franklin, Thomas Jeflrson, lames Madison, Thomas Paine, and Rouen argue ct and with politcl parpose Thus, ‘wheter orn thir “ral” enterprise was “alestaly” in eeping with the implies ofthe ptt astmptions prevented thers om acting tying postive fo the preset het [Recining the Enlightenment san ate to provide the Sequel that orcimer and Adorno never wrate in asl they reset employ ts chapters proceed ina oughly parle manner abd gen its interdicipinary “haat this book lio hs a intention of pleasing the narrow pei in 1S tana inna fee SSE a are cr ter eg «Fei pcan og res ‘Sorcha ase mol ‘state athe a earany pra conten Dik of Eien owes bat TURE cca coecn of agente sie hat wax droped sae git wasn and pone” appropriation £8 aa tain it nk ery oe race ie mph ed bt thay frist to de with stor cols oF Te ilanc wey Haines nd Adore fom he Sreulow vamp neon hich ato citi Ea Ten am the endpoint of nem ol ot congo weep The ren volume coir the ctl movements TPE Ioichme eas aun ompeing ed wee cones TeEAGhahe te ant undelen by he ope pins he od cess dee memtonl at hat a fg 79 ut seat ine hc prea betwee ral nd oii fers bed 12 Scengeamen stag she reso ign reo co ee Race tn tc aorlnm whose ination dered ONL ea nay termed the “Cooter Fngheoment "> ‘Wittasce otis or wha eves emedthe rst die Sree lca i any dco ofthe Enghenment wl cesar fyb prey academe om, rai Eamon neve gasp wht wat ste inthe cons seins tplcaisery. seta eer ako ha ean otis es ure appropri iferet pers oat red cao mel el fom sting he ation ofa “dn! dough sete pibsope etic fo poll resance “einen dre sens hn de our en eing th ntuon! pono oe eee fn sree srg inde show temo concerned boo he “ya edeaii aes ele aarp out th stil nena p-niealam and e of ensinely democratic Inston ston of taltariansm Lr———— ec ect ee ees Pa a —r—sesOOs Se oat i Enlightenment values are stil not hegemonic or estblshmentaran Aushortarianism issill rampant, most inhabitants of the word stil sur tuner the stictres of atonal, and ear les than $2 per day The Enlightenment was alays a movement of prot against the exercise of abitrary power, the force of estom and ingrained prejudices, and the jus Vitaton of soca misery. ls spit was the expression ofa bourgeois clas ‘on the rise aginst the hegemonic feudal values of the established society fais polit dal at sil subordinate to thote of adonalism and futhontrianism in mos of the worl. There should be no mistake: though the philosopher were responding primary tothe wold associated with “hrone and al.” the ideals of these thinkers remain elvan for ve formations without a feudal pst ike the United Stats. Wester a tion sl cary the crs of racim, exis, homophobia, xenophobia, and class inequality. Enlightenment thinkees evidenced antistory insight, speculations, and contradictory views on an extraordinary varity of ees. The less tematic the thinker its posible to sume, the more perverse the way hich his her ides col be appropri. Enlightenment thinkers, bow ter, wee cay endorsed or embraced by conservative o fucit pital ‘movement it hurd to iagise a bust of Lock or Vola siting onthe desk of Muslin. The pilosopes had thei mos profound impact onthe af Lacke and Kant intucncd all manner of ira, soca, ni ana ‘his, escria, Hoch an Adam Smith were deply commited to moral development and socal reform. Thomas Paine i among the founders of modem internationalism. There is hardly genuinely democratic rege that snot indebted wo Montene Enlighenmentphilotopers woud i ‘pie generations of those languising under the weight of despotism and dogma. The extent to which thee political contribution is frgoten isthe {extent which the contemporary lf wil constant find telnet Iyeinventng the whee ‘The Fnightenment privileged critical eft on voce its rad ons, idolopes, ands naitations It apict was opposed fom the begning both in tems of se and content bythe type of fanaticism ev Sdenced yesterday by secular ttaitarians and today by religious funda ‘mentalist. Just a there isa spist of the Enlightenment, there is 2 phe rnomenology ofthe ant-Enlightenment. The language of both has—often| ‘rity carted over nto the moder age lack of avarenes about the pan, however, has undermined the ability 4 make sense af dhe pres cn Arging thatthe Enlightenment with ts emphasis upon ci ibertis,tolerance, and humanism wis—forexample—somnehow responsible for the "Tenor" ofthe French Revoltin ot twenteth-century totalitarian iam indulges the poole ensibity without looking tpoitical hstory, movements or insttional practices. The entre pls land ape dntorte by this view: revision lose justifies the popular a dmc enterputation ofthe elightenment gs. ‘Undestaing the current lsh betwen secularism and religious ond mental inthe preset Tess than the most profound poll coiis tthe past cal for fst ecogniring ht the "Countr-Enlightenment” was ot we ileal” response tothe succes ofthe Enlightenment but a nines reyponse, orn of fea td osthing, guns everything asx ‘A with i spit Perversions of the ginal pulse sill zo unacknowl ‘tac Enightenment ales un dey counter tothe exerci of arbitrary power no less tha the censorship, claim, and conforms of author Faron ot tocitarian seins of bot the let and the sigh. was oot thatthe Enlightenment somehow Mende with its opposite, the Cuter Ealightenment, but that—fom the Srst—twotzadtlons confronted one thother The hated between then nly intense inthe afermath of the tee of democratic revolution and the epic bate would culminate in Dash ‘his work doesnot tet the nghtement a a ranshisoriclathro= ological dynamic, o # disembodied set of epistemological propeiins, ‘bt rther a. compost of views uated by similar poll deals and so ‘alaime. As opainst contemporary ct thers and postmodernist, he Sloss were clear abou te basic values underlying their enterpui “Thy shared a fuamental concern with coating he exercise of abi teary nattational power and expanding he realm of individual astonomsy. ‘This campection betwen polis and chic fs growing weaker En09gh dewtand “experience” ad inition 3s enough in reiting power. Bat they ‘re not enough. Indeed, since "Wester civilization is een politica “hu plies hasbeen its tal enter throughout the modern pri. 10 eto ethical values mcan oreive polis theory, and to ace this nh needed is return tthe deseo the eighteenth century, to pick wp the threads where hey were then dropped oF broken of"* Tati the porpoe behind this particular appropriation ofthe Enlight coment. Excellent reach has been done onthe tation deriving fom 1: Ad Cabana Saf ig The Re of eet Ma ite "New Yk Cage Be 0 spinors and lesser known Figures ofthe period concered with festering der and racial equality as well 5 radial understandings of democracy te communi it eve lege to distinguish between the "adcl™ tnd the "sonseratie” or “moderate” Enlightenment” But this is better lone in hisight, I wa imately the Tberal” element that nied pro- {rele movement for slags, abaliton ofthe ave ede il bers fd progretive labor leat during the nineteenth and twentieth cen- ‘i. The point ws to highlight the ul of aw and introduce constraints ‘pon hearty exercise of instittional power. These concer made un comrtbl even “enlightened” monarchs ike Preerck the Great who i Site hat "the passions of ree have no other curbs but he init ofthe owes” They ao inspied virtually every major intellectual representative ‘the sociliat Iabor movement fom Eduard Berstin o Rosa Lxerorg fs rly asthe best among the Holes, and iberaian anarchists ike Gustav Landauer, Victor Serge, Augustin Soucy, and Muay Bookchin “The concer ofthese rail ts ofthe Enlightenment ft away heir soltions retin thet revance ‘Asin: the pial spit ofthe Enlightenment crystalized around the principles connected with fostering the sccountabilty of nsttatons,reci- roi under thelaw, and a commitment i experiment with socal reform Not in imperialism, orci, the manipulation of liberty, but in thes ial isthe basis of Faightenment universalism. Democracy remains ay ‘empty word without i Enlightenment universalism protest raher than threatens the exci of abject, lt prestmes to render insiations 3c ourtabl, fundamental principe of democracy, and therby crete the preconditions for expanding individual freedom. Such view would inform Ibert movements concerned with citi liberties a well ssocaist move ments eking o constrain the power of capital Reciprocity canbe under ‘ond in the sae way too, underpins the Ube idx ofthe ctizen wi ‘sinhereny democratic nperativeagainet al peje inca "the othr” wel the oct fas o Meni the working erion an ameze “cost of production.” The Enlightenment notion of polite engagement, indo, alone keeps democracy fe and lve. Ides sich a thts provide am ending foundation for opposing con: Aemporary infingements on individual right and dignity by new global oth el Rint Enon opi an se Hain of May 0 (Cer Oxley Pe so ae Mare Jb, Th aa Bape nae Prep em len ih 8)ers f.apny the impr oi ci nds apr arr They cost eral gay of he Engen ZEAE SCLNT nment teend th pein oft pari ep SREY oe tin hae ben forge le he rots Sty oper communct Move and he pessoa aaa tonn by onan head cw arn Spi orc te plal ontn tt they wee dB ts a a a wh snmeting other an antiga 18 iter. sea tan the presen sg he eigenen eck nd ae cu oul itn fee iad ad stp over ee thre Suchon del mportan ores, ithe ce ty snes Fnigherment thin cen 8 sor ey phen worn ely bebo ena Ve ono he Wem Repub, racer kee wind caer abe ended the sacar of warns a he breton of Silane nT Mag Monti) by Tomas inn. ‘lenge Elgon ves tsa deal Nt a cia th ery pecondson for dean 07 fe of po eSpace ren, Unertndg the Elbenment nhs Fi cppoang cent fos a coe Dee th ence Trt uae ads on he nigement the ener end ofa soe ted nit spon limiting uniting sexoopi - sere ar a esting ee sta elpoun gre ge “tegument” Therein aves ae of Sata “eighteen” and oarig the ung and pear mo cpa Ear Con wrayer ferent sora hat The, Gosh aed he theory ear rane hy Newton bes ve gol nae deren tan Montego Voie nd Rowse ace sh sal ol ofthe tate; testes mata of he tein a Et ai Te gly of am ns Foon hstcn apm eu heme cae rt psenn el ee he pal fr the gh terns aa ey lon ten ogo Arner ings Ps Sent ete ymca cance ry po on Seer rat hme ra mate Fn Or be "Now AP ae aon fe Elghemen Con Dep Pengecie Nabe « Fa a ain a dace Ge XX ein: die Veg 0h | Baron <'otbach bad len common withthe ideals of Kant. Dire individual in lifeen circumstances prodced dilleren: pespecveson aly. Nevertheless, what unified them made the cumulative impact of in vidual thinker and national nllectul tends far greater than the sum of the pars "xtmodnary wat the way ia which the pilosophes evidenced cos non resistance to paohil bli and the arrogance of owe. By simply ecostructng the "Enlightenment, the fret gets lost forthe wees. Rad al tendecies within ike ant mperitism thas often come tobe sen ‘her ahistorical anomalies ra simple ineret ofthis that thinker” 1 alu comes easy to forget that even before 70, the ant-pilosophes ofthe {Couoter-Enlighterinent were busy “reconciling and wing ther enemiss ‘well bond thi extreme difeence,tbuting to them common ins fd common ends, Taology asi, thee is mich rth the cae tat the Counter Enlightenment invented the Enlightenment" TE there wis no “Enlightenment.” hat only discrete forms of intelectual cts filling loosely ner its ar, why shuld the pla enemies of this iteratonal tend ave been the same? These representatives of church and tradition —who wo vignrouly opposed democracy and equality, ‘evotion and reform, cosmopolitanism and internationalism hep, tnd science—formed « “Counter Enlightenment Internationa!” even be fore the French Revolution Academic itorians have attempted to intr prt the Enlightenment a sere of internal debates around important i felkcun “shpoints"® They have highlighted wha the Enlightenment Ind in common witht enemiss ke the Church andthe rtentment of as Aci the en tory Ehren” na rates onde ‘tuning he a prc eee et ny sy ofthe pid ‘ye ay ol ce ety ba oe ‘Sy weet bud hat" vay element peri ales ‘inns scp of heh centr ail hgh a “Seo ot hen arch sh ao a an reaching al ‘en poe soy do uti Sar Mah. Egan Sar Ee (Pret: Oterty Pry 255364 1 Dr ean, nto Eigen The Fc Coe Ene nl te ing of Mey (bt Onda Pr mh 3 ‘Dorinda, The Elfen (Cbg Cambs Uses Ps 9) ita of a Py Ne Haefits lee known aginst its more fimous representatives. They have io “phased the diferent conactsions behind the terms Enlightenment, ‘arn, lames, arin ‘Nowhere isthe pola cmict between the Elightenment and the ‘Counter Enlightenment, however, gven center age: its 8 the reo tionary gait of Cerane were o be appreciate without referring the tow Banous aesthetically conserve arts of his time. Perhaps in out Upolial age the primacy of such split etrpretatons only makes ‘hse But the impliatios ate lar nsf ashe svage poi conic. ‘tween diferent ideologies is gnored specially since itplas sich an im porn role in understanding contemporary politics theEaligMenment fal be rnd into ass bjet fattest ont historical eoanoseurs “The ably to evaluate alings and those ofits mos importa represen tates is als, there severely compromised. "Thre were many shins among the plosophes. ven the most atic tory frm af Pilsophy stains resides, reactionary assumptions and prejudices fom its histor cones. Some figures ofthe Enlightenment Took beter than others with ferences to the stp oftheir tine But there n0 comparing the views on women, rion minorities, and cv Iibesies of the philosophes with representatives of the Counter Enlightenment who opposed every progresve measure to improve the com ‘ition of women, sought o keep Js nthe get and eared democracy nd soil form ike the plague, Ul ignored isthe question onceraing Sohn tw sonable to expt rom Use inlets in thei ow stor icleontest lis impossible to excuse Volare or hisant-Seriiss, Du that is because oer of is contemporaries, ke Lessing or Montesquieu held tore epttaran and sophishcated views. Rousseau and Kant cin be con “ieal for thee supporto the death penalty precisely Because others ke ‘Beccrin and Voltaire understood it babar. Butt fons simply 0 novia abstract standard of what corte considered polly cor ret fndad by edocingiesto the prude oftheir sally white, mak trad ester authors many supposedly progressive historical inerogatons ‘thc pst actualy wind p tosing te itr contet by the wayside CContontng such biases in progressive tens is forthermore possible only rom the standpoint ofthe Enighteament with ts Uber and soa Inheritance. Thetis ie of organizational or ehial inportane that the sab heh naan ate Low tin “sy | | Couner-Ealghtenmento the present astortment of pox enlightenment” plilsopis has to offerte srg ofthe excel and exploited. Viewing the Enlightenment a iremedibly tainted by anachronistic prejudices ony casts plage on all nas. No need exists 1 compare the views ofthe Pilosphes andthe fanatics both are prejudiced wih read tae oF sx ‘ese practice nd ha tht Fongten thatthe former can be ble ‘heir om etic standards of progres while the ltr cannot because they tected those andar in theft place This ile vohume els 1 um ne not ipl the “ferences” bt the quate dizences between es Sent progressive movements that embraced the pli implicaton of the Eighenment and een reactionary movements that ested it. “Movements fen show their weakness bythe way in which they, whether conscious or unconsciouly, appropiate the thinking of thei adversaries. Ths i partially tue ofthe contemporary It. Enough “Uber now suger tat era eines mst rest on 3 homogeneots national comm rity with shared curl ves: thes flaenced by postmodern ideology ‘ew univers concepts as complicit with domination anda threat thet atic identities "exer" ideas no ls than the philosophies generat Ing them ae stenaouy contest by slfsyed radical ant imperiaints sihos "nomestern” bles areasoiated with indigenous elgious tad tions and rmutiize visions of n organic society There are sil hose ‘oho lad the iter heritage often without admiting ts complicity inthe ‘lence produce by expt, ad other ike Ne Postman who proper- Iv emphasised the importance of bung bridge tothe eighteenth cen tury in onder to recaptre ts lot humanism Bu the moe fashionable in terectations sages that the Enlightenment has lst its levance* o that its importance was always overated n comparison withthe slacous and sn authortaran popular itertue ofthe time.” "The Enlightenment may not have prodice the best ofall posible worlds and, admit, the importance of dea and intelectual is often 4 te Kamp Kanth Big wih he Ehime Te Teh of ryan etna i Nam re foe Yos ed A Kp. ™ Fl i rns We al ae othe nd Ma A 29 ater En Fri Bl of volta Pn New Yo Noe fon) form econ err ethos Mond: Th pce & Comper eS end a) 7 pi A eeoverestimated, But the philosophes surly shaped the progesive poll “Thcourse of modernity Even their enemies have manipulated thei ne of gum. Too much ime snow spent in abstract cussion of he tn on betwsen "berg" and quali” especially sine in gene, ht tring movementsranging ftom hanline conservatives to old-fashioned Totaltarans to the new supporters of fndamentalsm—have ha no tou ‘Hettacking both. eis re that establshmestarian elites employ the o> tion of ight to defend capalist property rations and keep subaern troup in thet place But it alo tre hat such am undertaking reais {Coosforming wat might be termed the protest characte ofthe Enlighten tent nt eof unassailable eal claims that benef ites ‘Democtatic society was tly wndestod aan experiment that devel ‘oped hand in hand wth he eration ofthe crt spirt. But the ei tl pest that Enlightenment thinkers were preseupet with nding singe ole tut that explains all fest, and the character of comet eo (duct in all circumstances” Many radicals ae aso replied by the ani> ‘populi sectiments andthe toleration of reigin exited by sor repre TEnttves othe Enlightenment thir aceptance ofthe sate thei exist and acs prejudices thei eli and thei eurocetrism, ther seen and their radiation of subjecting in the name of univers abstractions. Tat ‘rio poses barbored such eb tetra; that dhe enlighten tent ethos seduce tothe, however, unstable “What ashen calle the Enlightenment may no longer seem pstiey alia most important vals sem to hae ben sealed. nding in this ii, however, would be & mistake The ith of September oly high Tights what shuld already have been obvious the need remains fr an un Jening sult on religious fanatic not merl ofthe lami ay, et ‘ofthe sot promalgated by “bors agai” Christians, bible ters, Pots tutancs intent upon converting the ews aides and all those who would tring ther eee certanie—conteted by others with other reveled ce tutes into the mainstream of poe hie. The Enlghenment ay have suchen enfin Caan Hae co Te nfighioen Tradition (Beker FEL in tig li yy eae da tansfoming impact upon region isl Butt mainstream ni ‘on fought against what ir Karl Popper termed the “pen soc” viru every ep of the way. Every concession tothe march of progress made by ‘eligi ws the product of unreriting pressure by opponents. Reason is not the enemy of experince. Nothing is more fol than to confise a reactionary peed sive eth the genuinely democratic ‘iverson that underpins the liberal rule ofa, the consent of arbi teary power andthe ee exercise of subjectivity Probably o group af ‘eects infact, was more aware ofthe contributions offered by diferent caltres than the pilosophes who pried the eat agricultural societies that fever encountered Christianity ke the Amer-Indians and who looked ith sich respect at Tait, the Near East and the Orient. Tei information shout hese ext reglans was admitedly suspect, much oft was complete IyhalFbake, and the philsophes often romanticized thee subject. But sl they loked to these cultures «source for new eseriences and, ge zal speaking, the sympathy they extended to them was genuine. Skp ‘Sam concerning the inflexible hime of national and religious dogma inks the Bmghtenment with 3 politcal andrtking intent upon making society ore democrat mare connopolitan nd more experimental, st tthe philoiophes saw science nt merely san ordering device but 1 sef-ritl metod that could be used in the ight for Uberation fom outdated prejudices and dogmas, ther view of aesthetics alle upon ind ‘viduals co expand the realm oftheir experince. Roussea was not alone in simi that “the education of man hein at bir,” Diderot ale fr the xjyment of sexuality frit oe sake and though the DDE Prevost may ‘have warned against he dangers of unbridled passion and disrespect or su pio his Menon Lescaut a the oposite effect ie ao heed forge the mage of America sand without “the abtary avs of rank an conven ‘ion Vltsire satire the man who would understand the word trough reavon aloe and Kant understood aesthetic experience a 3 form of "pr postal parposelesnes” The pilosophes were not colores aademis of ‘ustnial reformers, but individuals who gored in thei ecentrcies and ‘who sought nt merely to educate thee minds but aor educate the en- iments and sensbites, Mluinatng the spc ofthe Enlghenment, the Best hat it ad to of fer ie the pac o begin, But this involves envisioning lose asemblage 18 Aah, Th Elbit Tin.ofa sa nr tcl movement tet 8 el ieloey play sola ono Sane rhc democsicevastonsia Enh Unite Sa, carpe ertaking, This requires a shift in ‘itor sndeyond as rtf ge nderangT ser ae pn apecy hen be abe ofthe eae sare chen ganesh ots rece we tc Saag ad tere ces hn ig» fenee Snes toga ropstn at biter ata see nia mae pesig he Elen an ra TRIE Cop and ving not ery nade Bat im the ations it isp. — 2 IN PRAISE OF PROGRESS Max Weate ALRuADY ENVISIONED 2m SPIRIT OF ENLIGHTENMENT “retreably fading” anda world comprised of “pei without spit, sensual without eur" But he was biter about this development, which pice him in marked conta to mich of contemporary opinion. The lightenment always had set, Begining wih the Restoration of andthe new ilosphical ection to the French Revolaton, however, they tree sont exchuively pola wot acon cxtal—adherete of (he ight intligent conservatives commited to organic nations of deve ‘pment lke Edmund Burke, elitists seeking a zeta to the sword and the ‘eke Joseph cde Maistre, racists inte on viewing wor hor a Bt tlebetween Arne an Jv ike Houston Stewart Chamberlin, and spe slypisprophesyng doom ike Orval Spengle. Today, however, many on ‘he let orward a crue ofthe Enlightenment. The cis come ia ve fous guisex postmodernist consider the enlightenment a “een” ‘ada feminists view is “mal,” and postcolonial thinkers disparage it as “Exrocentrc* Communitarians condemn i inividuais, religious ad cals bemoan is skepticism, pops castigate it intelectilism, ad the polican of enti cite it ejection of experience asthe criterion of tout Dogmatic Marts dismis theEaighenment a bourgeois” ase ‘hats are repelled by its elaae on the sate and ecologists bliin ‘iene and technology. Follower ofthe Frat Schoo stl view tas the "nwtng source of modern totalitarianism, Lefer of the Enlighten rent form a motley crew an, perhaps this reflects the current satay of Progressive frees Sil heres somethig that ukmately, binds al ofthe: ‘si icon withthe notion of progres 1 ax Wer, Te Po Eiki on te Sit Cpinion wa, To Pa