Dictionary

enlightenment

noun en·light·en·ment \in-ˈlī-tən-mənt, en-\

: the state of having knowledge or understanding : the act of giving someone knowledge or understanding

the Enlightenment : a movement of the 18th century that stressed the belief that science and logic give people more knowledge and understanding than tradition and religion

Buddhism : a final spiritual state marked by the absence of desire or suffering

Full Definition of ENLIGHTENMENT

1
:  the act or means of enlightening :  the state of being enlightened
2
capitalized :  a philosophic movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism —used with the
3
Buddhism :  a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering
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First Known Use of ENLIGHTENMENT

1654

Other Philosophy Terms

dialectic, dualism, epistemology, existentialism, metaphysics, ontology, sequitur, solipsism, transcendentalism

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