Book Review: John Robertson, Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction
| Author | Chris Pierson |
| Date | 01 August 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916654624 |
| Published date | 01 August 2016 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsPolitical Theory |
Political Studies Review 14 (3)
for ‘progressive nationalism’. ‘The capitalist
unfashionable) weight upon the religious com-
world economy is now so thoroughly integrated
ponent of Enlightenment, a relationship which
across national boundaries that an autonomous
turns out in this account to be rather more
national capitalist strategy is no longer possi-
nuanced, and less sceptical, than has often
ble’ (p. 20). A British socialist alternative has to
been suggested. The third chapter addresses
include a European dimension (p. 118).
‘bettering the human condition’, something
Even when thinking about alternatives, it is
which Robertson places close to the heart of
the focus on class analysis which guides
Enlightenment aspirations. This long chapter
Radice. Exploitation in capitalism takes place
is divided into three parts, considering Enlight-
in the hidden abode of production organised
enment contributions in social and moral
around the private ownership of the means of
philosophy, in (the writing of) history and in
production and wage labour. Any transforma-
political economy. The fourth chapter deals
tive alternative, therefore, has to start with
with the social and public character of
changing the social relations of production.
Enlightenment: the rise of the ‘public sphere’,
Any transformative alternative has to ‘make a
the coffee houses, the salons and freemasonry,
frontal attack on private ownership’ (p. 43). I
as well as transformations in the world of print-
strongly recommend reading this book.
ing and publishing, and the emergence of the
self-supporting ‘man of letters’. A final short
Andreas Bieler
chapter seeks to strike some sort of balance
(University of Nottingham)
between competing contemporary views of
© The Author(s) 2016
Enlightenment as (still) modernity’s project of
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emancipation and (still) the project of unac-
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