Aufklarung

/ˈaʊfklɑːrʊŋ/ noun

Definition

The German Enlightenment movement of the 18th century emphasizing reason, science, and critical thinking.

Etymology

From German 'Aufklärung,' literally meaning 'clarification' or 'enlightenment,' from 'auf' (up) and 'klären' (to clarify). Refers specifically to the German version of the broader European Enlightenment.

Kelly Says

The Aufklärung produced some of history's greatest philosophers like Kant and Leibniz—German Romanticism was literally a reaction against all that cold, rational thinking!

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