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“DARE TO KNOW”: Enlightenment thought and the dawn of the modern age

Part I of a four-part series extending through the fall of 2026 as the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Immanuel Kant’s Sapere aude (“dare to know”) became the credo for the entire 17th–18th-century period in Western thought known as the Enlightenment. During this era in Western European history, philosophers and statesmen developed theories and principles that entailed the application of reason and systematic inquiry to the public sphere of human affairs. This course will explore highlights of English political, military, and cultural events as necessary precursors to several philosophical theories of this period. The class will learn how these writings in turn prepared the way for a trans-continental revolutionary period and the cultural shifts that occurred in its wake. 

Instructors: Prof. Karl Stocker and Richard J. Friswell, MPhil

Five Thursdays, April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 4:00–6:00 pm, Wasch Center $150