The Enlightenment is at once a historical moment, a philosophical ideal and an intellectual legacy. This polysemy is what makes them so complex and interesting. As a period, they correspond to a long eighteenth century, marked by profound transformations, notably the crisis of orderly societies, the development of new knowledge and the rise of economic globalization and European expansion. As philosophical thought, the Enlightenment was not as coherent as is too often assumed. They combat prejudice in the name of the ability of individuals to reason autonomously, but they are above all a space for debate, an exercise in reflection on the ambivalences of modernity. Finally, for the past two centuries,the Enlightenmenthas been a narrative of the origins of liberal modernity : an intellectual heritage, stretched between cautious reformism and utopian horizons, powerful enough to be the almost inexhaustible source of progressivism, imprecise enough to allow tireless conflicts of interpretation.

The aim of this Chair is to articulate these different dimensions, from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on the dual historicity of the Enlightenment over the long term, from the 18th century to the present day century to the present day. The Enlightenment is not only a bygone era, but also the source of questions that are still relevant today, such as the place of religion in secularized societies, the organization of public space, the roots of scientific authority and the limits of universalism. The lectures given by this Chair aim to give an account of the diversity of the Enlightenment and its interpretations, on a European scale, but also in a global, imperial and post-colonial context. They seek to provide a new understanding of the legacy of the Enlightenment, avoiding simplification and exploring its contradictions and grey areas, as well as its enduring relevance.