The Enlightenment and the Intellectual Foundations of Modern Culture

“Louis Dupré’s study of the Enlightenment, ranging as it does over art, morality, religion, science, philosophy, social theory, and a good deal besides, is a marvel of scholarly erudition. . . . A formidably well-researched book, which would make an excellent introduction to Enlightenment ideas for the general reader.”—Terry Eagleton, Harper’s Magazine

An eminent scholar of modern culture argues that the Enlightenment-the importance of which has been vigorously debated in recent years-was a more complex phenomenon than either its detractors or advocates assume.