Filozofija i drustvo 2010 Volume 21, Issue 2, Pages: 3-27
https://doi.org/10.2298/FID1002003B
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Enlightening the enlightenment: On the permanent concept crisis
Bajović Tijana
Two hundred and twenty years after the French Revolution, the problem of
defining the concept of the Enlightenment still persists. Considering the
lack of agreement over the defining features of this movement or epoch, our
aim is to show that it has never been fully and clearly defined and
understood. The author therefore suggests making a distinction between
enlightenment (enlightening) and the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment as a
period linked to 18th century Europe, can be understood as part of a broader
process of enlightenment or enlightening. The Enlightenment should not be
viewed as a homogenous whole, an integral process, but as a (still living)
tissue, that still exerts considerable influence on Western thought and
culture. The author argues, however, that the accusations of projecting or
inventing the Enlightenment have not proved very useful, because they
interfere with our understanding of this complex phenomenon and important
movement in European history.
Keywords: enlightenment, the Enlightenment, projecting the Enlightenment, public sphere, modernity