Reassessing the Enlightenment

The notion of the Enlightenment has been subject to varying interpretations and uses in contemporary discourse, often becoming a tool in ideological battles. Authors like Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker repurpose the Enlightenment to align with their secular and scientific views, positing it as an antidote to contemporary religious and cultural phenomena they oppose. This perspective tends to project modern values onto 18th-century thinkers and movements, thereby distorting their original contexts and intentions. The underlying question arises: does this reinterpretation reflect the actual historical complexities of the Enlightenment, or does it create a simplified narrative that serves current ideological needs?