Here is a two part BBC series, Heroes of the Enlightenment, which provides an interesting examination of that crucial period in the history of Western Civilization.  The first episode describes the impact that Issac Newton, Denis Diderot, the Marquis de Pombal, and Erasmus Darwin made upon the advancement of science and knowledge in the Age of Reason, while the second episode discusses the impact of the ideas and actions of the French philosopher Marquis de Condorcet, American statesman and philosopher Thomas Jefferson, and King Frederick the Great of Prussia in shaping the Enlightenment. One cautionary note: the series is unfortunately … Continue reading Heroes of the Enlightenment