Philosophy in the dock

Philosophy in the dock - Erramun Gametxo

This chapter considers Dennis C. Rasmussen's treatment of Montesquieu, and then, more briefly, the treatment of Voltaire. In speaking of "abstract" and "universal" principles, Rasmussen seems to mean, principles that result from philosophical reflection rather than "historical and comparative analysis", and secondly, principles regarded as relevant everywhere and always. Future critics of the Age of Reason will be obliged to reckon with his probing analyses of David Hume, Adam Smith, Montesquieu, and Voltaire, which together constitute an intrepid apologia for the political philosophy of the moderate Enlightenment. It also constitutes an invitation for ongoing reconsideration of the reader's received wisdom regarding the Enlightenment's meaning. The Pragmatic Enlightenment is a rare thing in the world of scholarly publishing – a positively necessary addition to the literature. Like a good member of the defense bar, Rasmussen takes on the uphill case of Voltaire, perennial poster boy for Enlightenment excess.