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A Wicked Company: The Forgotten Radicalism Of The European Enlightenment (2010)

by Philipp Blom(Favorite Author)
4.09 of 5 Votes: 2
ISBN
0465014534 (ISBN13: 9780465014538)
languge
English
publisher
Basic Books
review 1: It is clear from the outset whom the author likes and dislikes, and whom he wants us to like. But the book strikes a chord, and confirms my biased opinion that the radical, atheistic, hedonistic Enlightenment thought with its emphasis on the individual in a social context, going back to Epicurus, and influencing amongst others Nietzsche, Shelley, and dare I even suggest it, Dawkins, is a much better guide for today than the soft, watered down and much better known version with its deistic emphasis on Reason and System.
review 2: An interesting look at the Enlightenment and the radicalism underlying the ideas of Diderot, d'Hollbach, Voltaire and crew. Engaging for non-fiction, It read like a story, with each chapter focusing on a different philosophe or event, b
... moreut while retaining a common thread throughout. I think this is an especially important book for those prone to misinterpreting the Enlightenment and its aftermath, as it clearly differentiates Diderot/d'Hollbach/Voltaire/etc from the ideas of Rousseau, whose ideas have been used to support extremism and despotism, at least during the Revolution.The only complaint I had was the detail in which the author explained the ideas of the philosophes. This seems an odd complaint, but I was more interested in the implications of their ideas than in the minutia. All in all a good read. less
Reviews (see all)
bob
Good. Puts the American "radical" enlightenment thinkers in perspective.
Misha
Publishers Weekly Review. Sorry, not allowed to post it.
anixchel
Good information but felt bloated.
Arun
Made me love Denis Diderot.
xleoniiee
Hagiography.
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