Overview

It evaluates the process that society has made since the Enlightenment and offers a cautiously optimistic vision for the future. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a major cultural shift took place in western Europe. Leading thinkers began to emphasize the use of reason to tackle the challenges of life. Instead of religion, intellectuals put their faith in science and humanistic ethics in the hope of improving the secular lives of people everywhere. Today we call this development the Enlightenment. This thought-provoking analysis evaluates the progress that global society has made since the Enlightenment, beginning by exploring the features of present-day society that are direct results of the Enlightenments discoveries - technology, modern medicine, science, and democratic institutions. It then goes on to discuss some of the problems produced in the wake of these advances - overpopulation, nuclear proliferation, and climate change. Despite these and other daunting challenges, this book concludes on a cautiously optimistic note, predicting Enlightenment's vision of a better life for all will be achieved.

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9781616146405

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From Enlightenment lessons to the prospects for planetary humanism, Stuart Jordan casts an epochal eye on humankind's progress and asks, if the primary goal of the Enlightenment was a higher state of civilization for all, are we any closer to achieving it today? Forget about what you believe - if you think the human species can ultimately survive, read this book and find out why. - Jennifer Bardi, editor, The Humanist This is the author's personal grand tour of the age of reason, from its pioneers to modern practitioners and beyond: a critique of their methods, successes, and failures; and an examination of the underlying human strengths, weaknesses, and failures that affect the pace and prospects for realizing the Enlightenment vision. He advocates truth, transparency, and the teaching of critical analysis as antidotes to disinformation and propaganda. His optimism is tempered by realism about how long this may take, and by genuine concern whether humankind may have sufficient time to act before the environmental stresses it places on the planet overwhelm its ability to withstand them. - Goetz K. Oertel, PhD, physicist, astronomer, techno-manager, and president emeritus, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

From Enlightenment lessons to the prospects for planetary humanism, Stuart Jordan casts an epochal eye on humankind's progress and asks, if the primary goal of the Enlightenment was a higher state of civilization for all, are we any closer to achieving it today? Forget about what you believe - if you think the human species can ultimately survive, read this book and find out why. <br>- Jennifer Bardi, editor, The Humanist<br><br><br> This is the author's personal grand tour of the age of reason, from its pioneers to modern practitioners and beyond: a critique of their methods, successes, and failures; and an examination of the underlying human strengths, weaknesses, and failures that affect the pace and prospects for realizing the Enlightenment vision. He advocates truth, transparency, and the teaching of critical analysis as antidotes to disinformation and propaganda. His optimism is tempered by realism about how long this may take, and by genuine concern whether humankind may have sufficient time to act before the environmental stresses it places on the planet overwhelm its ability to withstand them. <br>- Goetz K. Oertel, PhD, physicist, astronomer, techno-manager, and president emeritus, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

From Enlightenment lessons to the prospects for planetary humanism, Stuart Jordan casts an epochal eye on humankind's progress and asks, if the primary goal of the Enlightenment was a higher state of civilization for all, are we any closer to achieving it today? Forget about what you believe - if you think the human species can ultimately survive, read this book and find out why. - Jennifer Bardi, editor, The Humanist This is the author's personal grand tour of the age of reason, from its pioneers to modern practitioners and beyond: a critique of their methods, successes, and failures; and an examination of the underlying human strengths, weaknesses, and failures that affect the pace and prospects for realizing the Enlightenment vision. He advocates truth, transparency, and the teaching of critical analysis as antidotes to disinformation and propaganda. His optimism is tempered by realism about how long this may take, and by genuine concern whether humankind may have sufficient time to act before the environmental stresses it places on the planet overwhelm its ability to withstand them. - Goetz K. Oertel, PhD, physicist, astronomer, techno-manager, and president emeritus, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

From Enlightenment lessons to the prospects for planetary humanism, Stuart Jordan casts an epochal eye on humankind's progress and asks, if the primary goal of the Enlightenment was a higher state of civilization for all, are we any closer to achieving it today? Forget about what you believe - if you think the human species can ultimately survive, read this book and find out why. - Jennifer Bardi, editor, The Humanist This is the author's personal grand tour of the age of reason, from its pioneers to modern practitioners and beyond: a critique of their methods, successes, and failures; and an examination of the underlying human strengths, weaknesses, and failures that affect the pace and prospects for realizing the Enlightenment vision. He advocates truth, transparency, and the teaching of critical analysis as antidotes to disinformation and propaganda. His optimism is tempered by realism about how long this may take, and by genuine concern whether humankind may have sufficient time to act before the environmental stresses it places on the planet overwhelm its ability to withstand them. - Goetz K. Oertel, PhD, physicist, astronomer, techno-manager, and president emeritus, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Author Information

Stuart Jordan is a retired senior staff scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre and is currently president of the Institute for Science and Human Values.

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