Ben Waber reviewed The Enlightenment by Ritchie Robertson
An Exhaustive, Rigorous Tome
5 stars
If you want to get a sense of how messy and complex the "Enlightenment" era/concept is and enjoy deep scholarly works of history (✋) this is your book. Robertson methodically dissects different aspects of the period, reviewing not only the philosophical, political, and scientific movements but also changes in social norms such as travel and the arts to reveal the important developments that occurred during the Enlightenment. What emerges is a world with discourse that feels strikingly modern, but Robertson properly situates these changes in their historical context to encourage the reader to avoid interpreting these events through our present lens. I would have liked a bit more analytical connective tissue, as most of the high level conclusions are in the beginning and end of the book. Still, as a rich entry point to one of humanity's most important periods, and the one that set the table for the Industrial …
If you want to get a sense of how messy and complex the "Enlightenment" era/concept is and enjoy deep scholarly works of history (✋) this is your book. Robertson methodically dissects different aspects of the period, reviewing not only the philosophical, political, and scientific movements but also changes in social norms such as travel and the arts to reveal the important developments that occurred during the Enlightenment. What emerges is a world with discourse that feels strikingly modern, but Robertson properly situates these changes in their historical context to encourage the reader to avoid interpreting these events through our present lens. I would have liked a bit more analytical connective tissue, as most of the high level conclusions are in the beginning and end of the book. Still, as a rich entry point to one of humanity's most important periods, and the one that set the table for the Industrial Revolution, you can't do better. Highly recommend
