Abstract
This paper develops the theme of my review of Steven Pinker's book 'Enlightenment Now', published by Filozofia Nokia earlier this year. It explains in greater detail the case for a new enlightenment, which derives from the lack of scientific realism in social theory. Present day theories of morals, economics and politics all have their origins in eighteenth century Europe, when Cartesian rationalism was the preferred methodology for scientific theorising. This paper advocates the case for scientific realism in morals, economics and politics, not that of apriorism, which was an eighteenth century fetish.

Keywords
progress, patterns of growth, inequality and debt, targeted demand management, scientific realism

Cite this paper
Brian Ellis, THE NEED FOR A NEW ENLIGHTENMENT , SCIREA Journal of Sociology. Volume 3, Issue 4, August 2019 | PP. 129-144.

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