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Review Article: Communities of Enlightenment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 1998

Robert E. Goodin*
Affiliation:
Philosophy Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University

Extract

The Enlightenment model of social life is a seductive one. It depicts rational (or anyway reasoning) individuals choosing goals and plans and projects for themselves, with those autonomous individuals then coming together, of their own volition, in pursuit of shared interests and common goals. This founding fiction of the modern social world is well captured in the words of one Renaissance writer, who has God saying to Adam:

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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Footnotes

I am grateful for comments from Diane Gibson, Russell Hardin, Albert Weale and an anonymous referee.