Humankind and Humanity in the Philosophy of the Enlightenment

Book excerpt: What kind of creatures are human beings? How did the idea of civilization become synonymous with science? Is there a gendered bias within the concept of humanity? How do human beings become more human? This volume answers these fundamental questions and more, charting the increased preoccupation with the concepts of humankind and mankind during the European Enlightenment and their reconceptualization from merely defining the 'human species' to implying certain moral and social ideals of humanity. Chapters investigate the philosophical concerns of major figures across Western Europe, including Montesquieu, Diderot, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Herder, Joseph Priestley, Samuel von Pufendorf, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach and the Comte de Buffon. Together, they present a view of the Enlightenment project as a particular kind of humanism, different from Ancient and Renaissance humanism, with humanity as the overarching principle of reason, morality and freedom. With contributions from a team of internationally recognised scholars, including Stephen Gaukroger, Günter Zöller, Stefanie Buchenau and Udo Thiel, this book offers a novel interpretation of the Enlightenment that is both clear in focus and impressive in scope.