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The first real criticism of the Enlightenment can be found in Jonathan Swift's satirical novel Gulliver's Travels. While we survey the book, we'll address the following questions:

How does Swift's emphasis on human character critique the Enlightenment notion of homo universalis?
In what way does Gulliver's Travels argue that man is not nearly as rational as Enlightenment philosophers have presumed him to be?
Why does Swift seem to reject the concept of striving for immortality?

Recommended Reading: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. 1726. Reprint, England: Oxford University Press, 2008.

This episode of The Pillars is generously sponsored by Denise and Camillo Santomero. If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Pillars, we invite you to join the Tikvah Ideas Circle by clicking here.