Deism
Deism in the Enlightenment: its key thinkers, principles, critiques of organized religion, and lasting influence on modern secularism.
Enlightenment Ideas
The core concepts of the Age of Reason: natural rights, the social contract, separation of powers, toleration, empiricism, and more.
Empiricism
Empiricism from Bacon and Locke to Hume: its central principles, methods, and lasting influence on modern science and philosophy.
Freedom of Speech and the Press
A comprehensive guide to the Enlightenment defence of freedom of speech and the press, from Milton and Locke to modern principles of free expression.
Natural Rights and Human Rights
The theory of natural rights, its development in the Enlightenment, and its evolution into the modern doctrine of universal human rights.
Religious Toleration
The Enlightenment defence of religious toleration, from Locke and Voltaire to the modern principles of religious freedom.
Republicanism and Liberalism
Republicanism and liberalism in the Enlightenment: their development, key thinkers, and lasting influence on modern political thought.
The General Will
A comprehensive guide to Rousseau's concept of the general will, its role in his political philosophy, and its contested legacy in modern democratic thought.
The Idea of Progress
The Enlightenment idea of progress: its origins, key thinkers, major critiques, and lasting influence on modern thought.
The Separation of Powers
The doctrine of the separation of powers, from Montesquieu to the American Constitution and modern constitutional government.
The Social Contract Theory
Social contract theory from Hobbes and Locke to Rousseau and Kant, and its influence on modern political thought.