▁the ▁En light en ment ▁in ▁particular — has ▁been ▁too ▁often ▁ignored ▁or ▁bel itt led ▁in ▁recent ▁dec ades ▁due ▁to ▁such ▁t endencies ▁as ▁the ▁preference ▁for ▁real polit ik ▁explan ations ▁and ▁blank et ▁criticism ▁of ▁En light en ment ▁thought ▁from ▁left - wing ▁academ ics ▁who ▁view ▁such ▁thought ▁as ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁most ▁modern ▁ev ils , ▁especially ▁colonial ism , ▁rac ism , ▁gender ism , ▁etc . ▁ ▁Mont gom ery ▁and ▁Ch iro t , ▁however , ▁cit ing ▁other ▁sch ol ars ▁on ▁this ▁period , ▁view ▁the ▁En light en ment ▁as ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁un ending ▁debate ▁and ▁divers ity ▁of ▁thought , ▁out ▁of ▁which ▁ideas ▁about ▁individual ▁freedom ▁and ▁rights , ▁dem ocracy , ▁economic ▁reality , ▁scientific ▁effort , ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁reform ▁society ▁all ▁emer ged . ▁Sh ape ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁takes ▁up ▁a ▁vast ▁territory ▁of ▁texts , ▁institutions , ▁speech es , ▁events , ▁and ▁much ▁more . ▁Writing ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Book ▁Review , ▁F are ed ▁Zak aria ▁stated ▁They ▁have ▁to ▁cover ▁an ▁immense ▁range ▁of ▁material , ▁from ▁econom ics ▁to ▁evolution ▁to ▁Islam ic ▁fundamental ism . ▁But ▁they ▁do ▁so ▁compreh ens ively , ▁intellig ently ▁and ▁with ▁nu ance ▁and ▁jud icious ness . ▁I ▁was ▁struck ▁again ▁and ▁again ▁by ▁the ▁extraordinary ▁bread th , ▁er ud ition ▁and ▁luc id ity ▁of ▁this ▁book . ▁Br ief ly ▁put , ▁the