Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Enlightenment history
(1,631 words)

1. Definition

The modern term is a collective designation for all works of history, historiography, and philosophy of history (History, philosophy of) published during the Enlightenment by authors subscribing to Enlightenment ideas and values.

2. Questions and models

The Enlightenment shaped a fundamentally new conception of history. It broke with the Christian-theological view of history that had only rece…

Cite this page
Walther, Gerrit, “Enlightenment history”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_017192>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170626



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