The Enlightenment Project and the Greek Perspective

by Vasilis Giavris (Lawyer & Political Scientist)

Imanuelle Kant, one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment Project, defined the Enlightenment as “man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage” which Kant defined as “man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another” (Dupre, 2004). Kant maintained that this tutelage was self-inflicted since its primary cause was not found in man’s lack of ability or reason but rather in man’s lack of determination and courage to use his own reason without any direction or persuasion from another. “Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own reason! - That is the motto of Enlightenment" articulated Kant (Dupre, 2004). 

The Enlightenment Project was not a uniform socio-political movement with a core set of ideological socio-political beliefs and strict applications. On the contrary, it can be defined as a cluster of thoughts and beliefs which although at times were radically different they did share in common a conscious attempt to define, explain and control the human predicament and existence in a rational way aided by the use of scientific knowledge and technology (Berlin, 1956).

Early Greek Rationalist Genesis

Rationalism was born in 6th century BC in Greece. It was heavily influenced by early Greek philosophers such as Thales, Anaximander, Parmenides, Socrates, Aristotle and Plato. Greeks taught themselves to reason. Aristotle articulated the notion that “knowledge should be understood as the internal abstraction of the external and objective structure of the world”. The Socratic dictum “the unexamined life is not worth living” is premised on his belief that a person needs to critically think (to rationalise) about ethical propositions. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, Plato maintained that it takes rational introspection to escape the cave and understand the world. Without reason people will continue to believe in the shadows they have spent their whole life looking at. 

The Enlightenment Period 

Although there is no historical consensus on the beginning of the Enlightenment period it’s roots can most probably be traced to the end of the Thirty Year war and the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which resulted in the restructuring of a new European continent and the progressive and systematic attempt to withdraw all religious claims and antipathies from the political and public spheres of society. This period witnessed a breakthrough and development of modern science culminating in the establishment of modern scientific methods. In doing so, it helped create the “historical and social scientific inquiries that enable us to speak with such confidence about the social dependency of the self” (Baker & Reil, 2001). 

Freedom and morality

The Enlightenment Project introduced a new age of freedom and progress terminating centuries of darkness, theocracy and superstition through the promotion and encouragement a more tolerant, moral and acceptable society. The use of reason and rationalist etiology was considered an essential path to progress and to man’s ultimate objective being none other than the pursuit of human perfection and freedom (Booth & Smith 1995). To be truly free, man had to free himself from ignorance and from the prevailing medieval superstitions and indoctrinations which were articulated by various institutions, such at the Church and the prevailing aristocracy, with the intent of shaping and controlling man’s destiny and identity at birth (Booth & Smith, 1995). The Enlightenment Project opposed these constraints bringing them under intense scrutiny and criticism (Booth & Smith, 1995). 

The attainment of ‘true freedom’ was a cornerstone belief shared in common by rationalist thinkers during the Enlightenment period. Baruch Spinoza, one of the great rationalists of the 17th century, maintained the view that it is man’s rationality that enables him to classify objects and information presented to him in accordance to and through his own experience (Phemister, 2006). Spinoza further maintained the view that man can only form true universal notions and understandings and begin to think rationally about objects and information presented to him if he becomes an “active seeker of knowledge” rather than a passive recipient of knowledge and information presented to him by third parties without stringently evaluating their content (Phemister, 2006). 

Greek Enlightenment and the 1821 Revolution 

Under Ottoman yoke for many centuries the average Greek polity was not exposed to the current of Enlightenment thought emanating from Western Europe. Nonetheless, the Greek Revolution in 1821 was a product of such Enlightenment. Wealthy Greek merchants and educated Diaspora Greeks were exposed to the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. The publications of various writings by, visionary pioneers of Greek Enlightenment, Rigas Ferraios (Ρήγας Φεραίος) and Adamantios Korais (Αδαμάντιος Κοραής) played a pivotal role in developing Greek national consciousness and instilling a desire for democracy and human rights.

Rigas Ferraios wrote his Anthology of Physics in 1790 (Φυσικής απάνθισμα) with the desire to offer young Greek students the scientific knowledge of the French Encyclopédie by Diderot. Moreover in his battle hymn Thourios (Θούρειος) he called upon the Greek people to revolt writing, "It's finer to live one hour as a free man than forty years as a slave and prisoner" («Ως πότε παλικάρια να ζούμε στα στενά…. Καλύτερα μίας ώρας ελεύθερη ζωή παρά σαράντα χρόνια σκλαβιά και φυλακή»).

Adamantios Korais

Similarly, Adamantios Korais encouraged wealthy Greeks to fund the opening of libraries and schools throughout Greece. He undertook to reinvigorate the Greek Enlightenment through the writing of his Memoir on the Present State of Civilization in Greece (Mémoire sur l’état actuel de la civilisation dans la Grèce) and the creation of the Hellenic Library (Ελληνική Βιβλιοθήκη). 

Both Ferraios and Korais sought through their extensive writings to introduce European Enlightenment to enslaved Greece for they believed that it was only through Enlightenment Greeks would attain liberty and true democracy could be achieved.

The Need for a Greek Neo-Enlightenment

More than 185 years since the attainment of liberty Greeks remain “enslaved”. Enslaved to ignorance and prevailing indoctrinations which for many decades have been articulated by various socio-political institutions with the intent of shaping and controlling the Greek people’s destiny.

To become truly free, Greek citizens must become active seekers of knowledge. We must release ourselves from our self-incurred tutelage. We must challenge the existing premise that Greek citizens are helpless, weak, flawed and incompetent. We need to step back, objectify and reach a detached and individuated intellectual vantage point, where reason can be given free reign. Progress, freedom and knowledge must be achieved at all times and the only way to do so is through the use of rational thought, science and innovation.

The need for a Greek Neo-Enlightenment is today more than ever necessary.