Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven PInker Book Summary

Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress - A Complete Summary



Steven Pinker outlined the main reasons why he has taken up such a large task:

Enlightenment ideals are worth discussing even today.

The ideals of reason, science, progress, and humanity are sound and right.

In our time, these ideals should be defended more strongly than ever.

Enlightenment ideals should not be taken for granted. They are the most responsible for progress in any sphere of human society.

Enlightenment ideals are the reason to live.

Chapter 1 Concept:

Enlightenment, according to Immanuel Kant, is “humankind’s emergence from its self-incurred immaturity.” It is a dare for us to understand the world around us because if we dare to understand, (as per physicist David Deutsch), progress is possible in all fields: scientific, political, and moral.

But even this definition is not always fixed. The era that Immanuel Kant refers to in his essays about Enlightenment was situated in the last two-thirds of the 18th century. It was a period that challenged conventional wisdom. It was also a period that raised four themes: REASON, SCIENCE, HUMANISM, and PROGRESS.


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