Dr. Feroz Mehmood Shah (University of Oslo)

Abstract

Does the enlightenment of the people lead to social unrest and revolution? In the aftermath of the French revolution, both Kantians and conservative thinkers engaged with this pressing political question, further developing theories of enlightenment and state authority. On the one hand, Johann Ludwig Ewald argued against the undifferentiated and general theories of enlightenment, and claimed that the enlightenment of the people should be limited if it was to achieve its perfectionist end. The sovereign was justified on eudaimonistic grounds to promote this end through paternalistic means by instilling religious emotions. On the other hand, Johann Heinrich Tieftrunk argued that such a moral end does not justify a limited enlightenment and developed an argument that he thought was in line with Kant’s thought, prior to the publication of Kant’s mature political philosophy. The social question of popular enlightenment brought together arguments about the nature of enlightenment, the ground for state coercion, and issues of proper motivation for moral improvement.