“The liberal tradition has its roots in the Enlightenment, that period in the eighteenth-century Europe when intellectuals and political leaders had a powerful sense that reason could be employed to make the world a better place.” WorldReasonPoliticalPowerfulLeaderCenturyPeriodsEnlightenmentEuropeTraditionRootsEmployedBetter PlacePolitical Leaders Book:The Tragedy of Great Power Politics Source: The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
“During the centuries-long process of Reformation and Enlightenment, Christian churches had to accept some things they didn't like. Islam will have to do the same; otherwise it isn't part of Europe.” LongChristianProcessChurchAcceptingCenturyEnlightenmentEuropeIslamReformationChristian Church Author:Wolfgang Schauble
“The religious wars showed that the Christian faith was no longer Europe's unifying force. A new common ground was needed, and it was found in reason, which is something that is shared by all of mankind. This was one of the roots of the Enlightenment and its concept of universal human rights.” HumansWarReasonChristianFoundForceReligiousCommonRightsMankindNeededEnlightenmentConceptsEuropeRootsUniversalHuman RightsChristian FaithCommon GroundUnifyingReligious Wars Author:Walter Kasper
“Perhaps enlightenment, technology and secularism haven't cleared Europe of the oldest science of all - the occult.” TechnologyHavensEnlightenmentEuropeSecularismOccult Author:Adam Nevill
“America became a special source of attraction to people who were fleeing the aftereffects of the 30 Years War and the religious persecution that began to sweep through Europe in the period between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. And when people got here, very often they succeeded.” PeopleYearsWarAmericaReligiousSpecialSourcePeriodsEnlightenmentEuropeAttractionPersecutionRenaissanceFleeingReligious Persecution Author:Mitch Horowitz
“My "drop in the ocean" will contribute to the enlightenment of Europe, so to speak.” SpeakOceanEnlightenmentEuropeDrops In The Ocean Author:Varg Vikernes
“In the post-enlightenment Europe of the 19th century the highest authority was no longer the Church. Instead it was science. Thus was born racial anti-Semitism, based on two disciplines regarded as science in their day - the 'scientific study of race' and the Social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer and Ernst Haeckel.” TwoSocialBornChurchRaceStudyCenturyDisciplineAuthorityHighestEnlightenmentEuropePosts19th CenturyAnti SemitismDarwinismSocial Darwinism Author:Jonathan Sacks
“From Caesar's legions to the Napoleonic wars. From the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the industrial revolution to the defeat of nazism. We have helped to write European history, and Europe has helped write ours.” WritingWarRevolutionEnlightenmentEuropeDefeatReformationNazismLegionIndustrial RevolutionEuropean HistoryNapoleonic Author:David Cameron
“In Europe, the Enlightenment of the 18th century was seen as a battle against the desire of the Church to limit intellectual freedom, a battle against the Inquisition, a battle against religious censorship. And the victory of the Enlightenment in Europe was seen as pushing religion away from the center of power. In America, at the same time, the Enlightenment meant coming to a country where people were not going to persecute you by reason of your religion. So it meant a liberation into religion. In Europe, it was liberation out of religion.” PeopleCountryReasonAmericaDesireChurchReligiousHistoryCenturyVictoryBattleLimitsIntellectualEnlightenmentEuropeLiberationPushingCensorshipInquisition18th CenturyIntellectual Freedom Author:Salman Rushdie