In the 18th century, the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment swept across Europe. Questioning traditional authority, it sought to expand human knowledge and advance society. Today, the Enlightenment remains contentious, praised by some as the inspiration for our commitment to freedom and tolerance, while others hold it responsible for the ills of modernity.

In this concise introduction, John Robertson presents the history of the Enlightenment and its key ideas. Acknowledging its significant intellectual achievements, Robertson examines the many ways in which Enlightenment thinkers consciously sought to promote the goal of human improvement by fostering a better understanding of religion, good manners, economic improvement, and the subjection of government to public opinion.

In a truly impressive text for its conciseness and completeness, this book offers an ideal introduction to a major subject of European education. As Paschalis M. Kitromilides aptly states, “Engaging with the essence and historicity of the Enlightenment as it emerges from the pages of Robertson offers a lesson in self-awareness in the world of modernity. At a time when, in our country, amidst all the other paradoxes occurring around us, the study of the Enlightenment seems to fall into the hands of the enemies of the values of modernity and the freedom it represents, it would be both good and useful to read John Robertson’s book carefully.”

This book is part of the series of “concise introductions” from the Oxford University Press, which is an excellent collection of concise overviews of central issues across the entire spectrum of the discipline and already boasts more than two hundred titles.