EDITORIAL Do We Need a New Enlightenment for the Twenty-First Century?

• Authors: Allinson Robert Elliott
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The original essays in this issue are arranged as a thematic development of the central themes of the Enlightenment, as they emerge both progressively and in retrograde reflection through a multilogue among the luminaries of the Enlightenment. Those central themes appear to be the freedom of thought, the prioritization of reason over faith, science and the idea of linear or uniform progress. In the case of the Enlightenment, there is a dynamic dialogue between thinkers on the question of the freedom of thought and its severe curtailment by the power of religion, or, in its most notorious form, by the Church. The thinkers discussed in this first issue are, for the most part, in a battle with the Church for the freedom to express their own thinking without being constricted by the authority of the Church. Our valued contributors circle the globe and include professors from universities in Russia, USA, Bulgaria, Romania, Nigeria, Israel, France, Poland, Canada and Singapore. This international collection presents this issue with perspectives that represent a global variety of the thematic and dialectical evolution of viewpoints on the core themes that occupied intellectuals and philosophers during the Enlightenment. Though completely without any intention on the part of the individual authors, the collection proves to be a fascinating organic dialogue among the various views presented, starting with the theme of tolerance, a major theme of the Enlightenment and finishing with a critique of the Enlightenment precisely for not practicing the virtue of tolerance that it preached. We could begin with either the continental philosopher, Spinoza or the British philosopher, John Locke since both are born in the same year, 1632. The choice of Locke as a starting point is based on the fact that Spinoza expands upon Locke’s view of tolerance and hence Locke’s view of tolerance should precede that of Spinoza’s. John Locke’s concept of tolerance, it may be said, is both a germinating idea and a core fruit of the Enlightenment. Hence, there is a good case that we may begin our dialogue about the Enlightenment, with the ideas of John Locke. Professor Emilia A. Tajsin thus receives the honor of being the first essay in the issue. According to Professor Tajsin, the key issue is that even if we understand the idea of tolerance, understanding is not enough. This point illustrates the difficulty of engaging in philosophical dialogue of any kind since we normally consider that arriving at understanding is the key to finding truth and/or resolving conflicts of opinion. It is fitting, then, that we begin with epistemology, or, in Professor Tajsin’s preferred term, gnoseology....

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk; Fundacja Filozofia Na Rzecz Dialogu
• Journal: Dialogue and Universalism
• Year: 2021
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 5-25

Contributors

author

Allinson Robert Elliott

• Soka University of America