Neon Liberalism Liberalism 101: Liberalism and Enlightenment
Oct 21, 2025
Explore how the reactionary right offers a total philosophy of life that liberals need to counter. Delve into the roots of liberalism from the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. Discover how experimentation and reason shape modern thought and political frameworks. Learn about Nietzsche’s insights on freedom and responsibility, and how Enlightenment values can foster personal virtues. Samantha urges liberals to address societal anxieties authentically while reclaiming the narrative around democracy and individual rights.
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Reason Replaces Tradition
- The Enlightenment applied scientific methods of observation and reason to human society and politics.
- This shift made tradition and faith less authoritative and placed reason at the center of political legitimacy.
Doubt Becomes A Tool
- Enlightenment thinkers adopted the scientific method's emphasis on testing and doubt for moral and political questions.
- Descartes' method of doubt and reason reframed belief as something to be justified, not inherited.
Freedom Is Thinking For Yourself
- Kant tied reason and freedom tightly together, arguing genuine freedom requires thinking for oneself.
- Autonomy means daring to know and making choices rather than following inherited rules.