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The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers

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( 281 ratings, 40 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers explores how Enlightenment thinkers in the 18th century redefined the relationship between reason and faith, grappling with the transition from religious to scientific and humanistic perspectives. Becker delves into their attempts to construct a new intellectual framework while still being influenced by the past, highlighting the philosophical shift that laid the groundwork for modern thought.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by Enlightenment thinkers and their enduring impact on modern society. Delving into the beliefs and ambitions of 18th-century philosophers, it offers a compelling exploration of their vision of a utopian future and how it subtly shaped Western intellectual tradition.

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Carl Becker demonstrates that the period commonly described as the Age of Reason was very far from that; that Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, and Locke were living in a medieval world, and that they "demolished the Heavenly City of St. Augustine only to rebuild it with more up- to-date materials".

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This title challenges the belief that the 18th century was essentially modern in its temper. Carl Becker demonstrates that the period commonly described as the Age of Reason was, in fact, very far from that; that Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, and Locke were living in a medieval world, and that these philosophers "demolished the Heavenly City of St. Augustine only to rebuild it with more up-to-date materials".

In a new foreword, Johnson Kent Wright looks at the book's continuing relevance within the context of current discussion about the Enlightenment.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Carl L. Becker's The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers is praised as a classic work and a significant contribution to Enlightenment historiography. Its elegant writing and thought-provoking ideas continue to inspire scholarly dialogue and critical analysis. The book's influence is underscored by the enduring quality and intellectual engagement it has prompted over the generations.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300101508

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 November 2003

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Edition: 2nd Revised edition

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 181g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Carl L. Becker (1873–1945), a professor of European history at Cornell University, was one of the world’s leading authorities on eighteenth-century thought. Johnson Kent Wright is associate professor in the department of history at Arizona State University and author of A Classical Republican in Eighteenth-Century France: The Political Thought of Mably.

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