Research on the Lasting Legacies of Enlightenment: A Double-edged Sword to Modern Society

Abstract

It is already common sense that the Enlightenment has brought huge improvement to human society both ideologically and physically and numerous scholars have discussed it before. However, the main aim of this article is to discover the real contributions of the Enlightenment and explore its limitations to our modern life. Think about what can be learned from the Enlightenment and what needs to be avoided in future political movements. The article will discuss the lasting legacies of Enlightenment in three aspects: Arts, Economics, and Women's Rights and then focus on the negative sides of Enlightenment at the end. This essay may not cover all the political philosophers during the Enlightenment, so there are some limitations to the conclusions. Moreover, since political movements have developed differently in different eras, some of these conclusions may not apply to todays society, but it can provide some references for scholars to study.