The Enlightenment's Other

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The (European) Enlightenment is often associated with the Scientific Revolution, the valorization of reason, and the quest for political freedom among other things. We’ll recognize these aspects of the Enlightenment. But in this class we’ll also pay special attention to the fact that the Enlightenment unfolded against the backdrop of colonialism and racial slavery as well as patriarchal social arrangements. So, the Enlightenment idea of freedom was, at least in practice, never meant for everyone. In fact, its celebration and pursuit of freedom went hand in hand with practices of oppression. The Enlightenment philosophers themselves often played a direct or indirect role in condoning, justifying, or deepening such practices. This raises hard questions about how best to understand and deal with the Enlightenment legacies, the continued impact of which is not always obvious or straightforward to us. We’ll explore such questions throughout the semester. And we’ll strive to do so with an open mind.