Springer Scepticism in the Eighteenth Century: Enlightenment, Lumières, Aufklärung: 210 (International Archives of the History of Ideas Archives internationales d'histoire des idées, 210)

The Age of Enlightenment has often been portrayed as a dogmatic period on account of the veritable worship of reason and progress that characterized Eighteenth Century thinkers. Even today the philosophes are considered to have been completely dominated in their thinking by an optimism that leads to dogmatism and ultimately rationalism. However, on closer inspection, such a conception seems untenable, not only after careful study of the impact of scepticism on numerous intellectual domains in the period, but also as a result of a better understanding of the character of the Enlightenment. As Giorgio Tonelli has rightly observed: “the Enlightenment was indeed the Age of Reason but one of the main tasks assigned to reason in that age was to set its own boundaries.” Thus, given the growing number of works devoted to the scepticism of Enlightenment thinkers, historians of philosophy have become increasingly aware of the role played by scepticism in the Eighteenth Century, even in those places once thought to be most given to dogmatism, especially Germany. Nevertheless, the deficiencies of current studies of Enlightenment scepticism are undeniable. In taking up this question in particular, the present volume, which is entirely devoted to the scepticism of the Enlightenment in both its historical and geographical dimensions, seeks to provide readers with a revaluation of the alleged decline of scepticism. At the same time it attempts to resituate the Pyrrhonian heritage within its larger context and to recapture the fundamental issues at stake. The aim is to construct an alternative conception of Enlightenment philosophy, by means of philosophical modernity itself, whose initial stages can be found herein. Review “The greatest virtue of the chapters in this volume is the level of detail provided by the authors … . There is considerable value in reading this book cover to cover … . the book has already been an invaluable reference tool for my current research and it has given me a number of ideas for future research.” (Michael W. Hickson, International Journal for the Study of Skepticism, Vol. 06 (04), 2016) “This volume is another instance of the enduring influence of Richard Popkin’s pioneering work on the history of modern skepticism. … the volume as a whole is a welcome addition to the literature on modern skepticism. … The present collection is clear proof that scholarship on the history and philosophical significance of modern skepticism is as vigorous as ever.” (Diego E. Machuca, Journal of the History of Philosophy, Vol. 53 (3), July, 2015) From the Back Cover Often portrayed as a period bound by the dogma of slavish obedience to the diktats of reason and progress, the Age of Enlightenment is revealed by this profound analysis to have been riddled with skeptical attitudes and characters, even in the Enlightenment's most codified locations, such as Germany. Most philosophers of the period are still widely regarded today as having been dominated by a core triple nexus of optimism, dogmatism and rationalism, and despite a growing body of literature exploring the features of their work that could be regarded as informed by skepticism, this unrivaled survey points up the deficiencies of the former.   This volume, then, offers an exploration of the impact of skepticism in both its historic and geographic dimensions, providing readers with a reevaluation of the role played by skepticism itself. The detailed narrative covers every identifiable instance of skepticism in the Eighteenth Century, tracing its influence of thought on major British, French and German philosophers, and including lesser-known figures whose contemporary influence requires their inclusion in a comprehensive study such as this.   This volume, then, offers an exploration of the impact of skepticism in both its historic and geographic dimensions, providing readers with a reevaluation of the role played by skept