This is made in philosophy bites with me David Edmonds and me Nigel Warburton.

Philosophy bites is available at W.

Thats. Philosophy bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.

In the 18th century, a set of disparate ideas and intellectual movements across several countries came subsequently to be categorized under a simple label,

The Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment continues to shape Western culture and institutions.

But what exactly was the Enlightenment? And why does the Bulgarian

born Paris-based philosopher and historian Zvetta and Todorov believe that the Enlightenment's

core ideas need defending and that its legacy is under threat.

Sveta and Todroff, welcome to Philosophy Bites.

Thank you.

The topic we're going to focus on is the Enlightenment today.

What was the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was the period during which modern identity was forged. The alignment was also a movement that

rose in several different countries in England or more specifically in Scotland in France in Germany Austria and finally in Italy so there were many

different people with different ideas. The Enlightenment was a time of debate, of

contradictions, so it's not very easy to summarize. To me the Enlightenment is based, of all on the idea of autonomy.

The fact that we human beings decide for ourselves what actions we are going to perform.

And this autonomy concerns both the collective body of society and in this sense the people becomes

the source of power and of authority. This is called the sovereignty of the people, and simultaneously the individual

has a certain sphere within which he or she has the right to decide personally for all their actions.

Now that to me sounds like some of the ideas that were around in ancient Greece.

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