Episode 200: Kant/Mendelssohn/Foucault on Enlightenment (Part One)

On "What Is Enlightenment" by Immanuel Kant (1784), "On Enlightening the Mind" by Moses Mendelssohn (1784), and "What Is Enlightenment" by Michael Foucault (1984). At the end of the historical period known as The Enlightenment, a Berlin newspaper asked what exactly that is, and Kant and Mendelssohn responded. Both were concerned with whether too much enlightenment among the public can cause social unrest, and so whether there should be freedom of speech and opinion. Foucault thinks that we're not yet Enlightened, that it's an ongoing process of critique. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/pel-live to help us plan the 10-year anniversary live event! Don't wait for part 2! Get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL! Sponsors: Visit ZipRecruiter.com/pel to try this hiring service for free. Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL for a one-month free trial of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service.