The Pragmatic Enlightenment
Recovering the Liberalism of Hume, Smith, Montesquieu, and Voltaire

A study of the political theory of the Enlightenment, focusing on four key eighteenth-century thinkers: David Hume, Adam Smith, Montesquieu and Voltaire.

Dennis C. Rasmussen (Author)

9781107045002, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 November 2013

357 pages
23.1 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.59 kg

“The Pragmatic Enlightenment meets the most pervasive objections to Enlightenment liberalism by showing again and again that key figures in this tradition were not only free of the vices so often attributed to them but were actually proponents of far more nuanced and defensible views than is commonly thought. None was guilty of the hegemonic universalism, the blind faith in reason, or the atomistic individualism so often associated with Enlightenment liberalism – and with contemporary liberalism as well. In the process of showing how each of these key figures eludes the common charges, Rasmussen articulates a richly reasoned defense of a powerful but moderate brand of liberalism, one that has roots in the eighteenth century but applications for today.”
-- Dr. Sharon Krause, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Brown University

This is a study of the political theory of the Enlightenment, focusing on four leading eighteenth-century thinkers: David Hume, Adam Smith, Montesquieu and Voltaire. Dennis C. Rasmussen calls attention to the particular strand of the Enlightenment these thinkers represent, which he terms the 'pragmatic Enlightenment'. He defends this strand of Enlightenment thought against both the Enlightenment's critics and some of the more idealistic Enlightenment figures who tend to have more followers today, such as John Locke, Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham. Professor Rasmussen argues that Hume, Smith, Montesquieu and Voltaire exemplify an especially attractive type of liberalism, one that is more realistic, moderate, flexible, and contextually sensitive than most other branches of this tradition.

Introduction
Part I. Hegemonic Universalism?: 1. Morality in context
2. Pragmatic liberalism
Part II. Blind Faith in Reason?: 3. The age of the limits of reason
4. The perils of political rationalism
Part III. Atomistic Individualism?: 5. The social and encumbered self
6. Negative liberty for a positive community
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Western philosophy: Enlightenment [HPCD1], Philosophy [HP]