In the eighteenth century, an intellectual movement
emphasising reason and rationalism came to dominate
Europe. The Enlightenment has since been called the
foundation of modern Western political and intellectual
culture. In this brief introduction, Sir Anthony Kenny explores
the historical context in which it emerged, its impact on the
world at the time and how the legacy of many of the thinkers
and writers it gave birth to has been felt through the years to
this days.