The Enlightenment Movement changed society forever, driving it forward through new and fresh ways of thinking about science, religion, history, politics, and culture. This dictionary offers a balanced overview and helps us to understand and appreciate the Enlightenment through its coverage of the basic assumptions and values that structured the movement; explanation of how these ideas were articulated; the paths of communication they followed; how its key ideas grew, developed and were refracted; and how new problems grew out of what were advanced as solutions to older problems. An engaging introductory essay along with hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries defines the significant persons, places, events, institutions, and literary works of the movement. A chronological table charts the progression of the movement by indicating the date, the main figures involved, the political or society events, and the science, arts, or letters that resulted. The comprehensive bibliography, with an introductory essay to the literature, categorized by subject complements this reference that will be valued by all seeking basic details about this important period.

Against a magnificently embroidered backdrop of 18th-century France, Schaeffer shows us Sade's incredible life of sexual appetite, adherence to Enlightenment principles, imprisonment, scandal, and above all inexhaustible imagination.

The name Marquis de Sade conjures images of scandal and perversion, but behind the excesses lies a profound thinker whose writings continue to provoke and challenge. In "Marquis de Sade: A Life of Power and Perversion", Henry F. Morgan delves into the complex life and works of this notorious French nobleman. This book goes beyond the sensational tales that gave de Sade his infamous reputation. It explores his radical political and philosophical ideas, his views on freedom and power, and his unflinching critique of the moral standards of his time. With precise analysis and historical depth, Morgan paints a portrait of a man who pushed the boundaries of thought and was both admired and reviled for it. For readers eager to explore the ideals and controversies surrounding one of the 18th century's most fascinating figures, this book offers a comprehensive examination of de Sade's life, work, and legacy—compelling readers to reflect on power, freedom, and the darker aspects of human nature.

Discussing the 'real' Marquis de Sade from his mythical and demonic reputation, John Phillips examines Sade's life and work his libertine novels, his championing of atheism, and his uniqueness in bringing the body and sex back into philosophy.

In 18th-century France, matter itself - in forms ranging from atoms to anatomies - became a privileged object of study. This book defines what is at stake in the emergence of an enlightened secular materialism by showing how questions of figure are consistently located at the very heart of 18th-century debates on the nature of material substance.

"Draws together the work of thirty-nine leading international experts on the European Enlightenment (c1660-1800) to offer informed, comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of this period as both an historical epoch and a cultural formation".--BOOKJACKET.