ACS 300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Émilie Du Châtelet, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Tabula Rasa
17 Apr 2017
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2. through the use of reason, man can improve the human condition. Writers, professors, journalists, statesmen, economists, political scientists, social reformers. Role of philosophy: to change the world. Reason is the scientific method, based on facts and experience; empiricism. Rational criticism applied to the old regime world, e. g. religion, politics. Immanuel kant: enlightenment is about bringing light into the dark corners of the mind . Philosophes as propagandists: publicize the idea of reason. Reason is to the philosopher what grace is to a christian. Grace causes the christian to act, reason the philosopher. Other men are carried away by their passions, their actions not being preceded by reflection: these are the men who walk in darkness. On the other hand, the philosopher, even in his passions, acts only after reflection; he walks in the dark, but by a torch. The philosopher forms his principles from an infinity of particular observations. Against accepted truths, authority and innate ideas.
