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   Enlightenment-era ideals of objective truth, universal rights, and reason-based governance forged modern democratic civilization. In contrast, postmodernism’s relativism and identity-based narrative critique threaten these foundations. We must reaffirm Enlightenment principles to preserve unity, justice, and discourse.

1. Reason’s Dawn: How the Enlightenment Forged Civilization

In the 17th and 18th centuries, philosophers like John Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau articulated frameworks for reason-based governance. Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (1689) posited natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws (1748) introduced separation of powers; Rousseau’s Social Contract (1762) argued that legitimate authority rests on citizen consent.

These ideas mattered practically—they informed the U.S. Constitution (1789) and France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), embedding Enlightenment principles in the DNA of modern democracies. As of 2020, scholars estimate that around 80% of democracies worldwide trace their philosophical roots to the Enlightenment.¹

Enlightenment values also translated into measurable successes: by 2020, approximately 167 constitutions enshrined freedom of expression; and countries scoring above 0.9 on the UNDP Human Development Index—predominantly Western democracies—demonstrated the tangible benefits of rational inquiry and institutional rule.² These metrics underscore the Enlightenment’s role as civilization’s intellectual crucible.

2. A Shadow Looms: Postmodernism and the Corrosion of Truth

Despite this legacy, postmodern thought rose to challenge Enlightenment truths. Thinkers like Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida argued that “truth” is a social construct shaped by power dynamics—rather than anything objective or universal.³,⁴

This relativistic posture manifested starkly in 2017 when Evergreen State College’s Professor Bret Weinstein was targeted for resisting identity-based orthodoxy, demonstrating how narrative power can supplant reasoned discourse.⁵

Survey data reinforces this cultural shift. In September 2020, Pew Research found that 44% of Americans had heard a fair amount about “cancel culture,” and 49% defined it as punitive rather than corrective.⁶ By 2022, awareness had climbed to 61%.⁷ FIRE’s Campus Deplatforming Database logged a steep increase in speaker cancellations, documenting over 1,000 incidents between 2020 and 2024 and a success rate above 50% in recent years.⁸

Public trust in academia has also plummeted. Gallup reports that confidence in higher education fell from 57% in 2015 to 36% in 2023, with modest recovery to around 42% in 2025. Republicans showed especially low confidence at 26%, while Democrats expressed around 61%.⁹

Postmodernism’s rise thus correlates with an erosion of institutional trust, suppression of debate, and fragmentation of public discourse—an intellectual shift that seems to undermine the very Enlightenment principles upon which open society relies.

3. Not All Postmodernism Is the Enemy: Nuance and Constructive Critique

It is crucial to acknowledge that not all postmodern critique invalidates reason wholesale. Some theorists alert us to valid Enlightenment blind spots—colonialism, technocracy, scientism, and persistent inequality. Foucault, for instance, provided nuanced analyses of institutional power without advocating epistemic nihilism.

Acknowledging these critiques enriches the conversation—but when relativism becomes ideological absolutism, it dissolves trust in evidence-based policy and shared truth. History shows that societies fragment when reason yields to narrative absolutism.

4. Unity vs. Fragmentation: The Stakes Today

The divide between Enlightenment rationalism and postmodern relativism is not merely theoretical—it plays out in civic polarization, distrust of institutions, and ideological silos. When everyone has their own truth, civic cohesion unravels.

Conversely, Enlightenment-era constitutional liberalism undergirds pluralistic societies capable of managing conflict without collapse. Wherever constitutionalism, an independent judiciary, and open inquiry flourish, democracies exhibit resilience—whether in Western Europe, North America, or Oceania. These structures remain civilization’s compass—pointing toward shared reality rather than tribal narrative.

5. A Call to Action: Reaffirming Enlightenment Principles

We must recommit to rational discourse and institutional integrity. Universities, media, and civic organizations should uphold robust free speech policies—not ideological conformity disguised as accountability.

Educational institutions should offer curricula grounded in logic, debate, and classical liberal values, resisting pressure for ideological self-censorship. Meanwhile, public institutions should incentivize transparency and evidence-based decision-making.

We can also advocate for public reunification around shared civic values: tolerance, rationality, discourse. Platforms and forums that encourage civil disagreement—not echo chambers—can be part of the solution.

By elevating Enlightenment values—without ignoring valid critiques of past excesses—we can craft an enlightened path forward that embraces reason, inclusion, and unity.

Conclusion

The Enlightenment transformed civilization through reason, universal rights, and institutional design. Postmodernism, in its most radical form, threatens to tear down that structure by denying objective truth and fragmenting discourse. While constructive critique has its place, nihilistic relativism endangers the very foundations of democratic society. To preserve justice, cohesion, and open debate, we must hold fast to Enlightenment principles—reason as civilization’s compass, truth as our shared ground.

References

1. Freedom House. Freedom in the World Report (2020). https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world FIRE+1Wikipedia+1Gallup.comWikipedia+8Freedom House+8Freedom House+8

2. UNDP. Human Development Report (2022); Constitute Project. World Constitutions Database (2020). https://www.constituteproject.org edtechbooks.orgOur World in Data

3. Foucault, M. (1975). Discipline and Punish; Derrida, J. (1967). Of Grammatology.

4. EdTech Books. “Enlightenment Thinkers and Democratic Government.” https://edtechbooks.org/democracy/enlightenment edtechbooks.org

5. Weinstein, B. “The Evergreen State College Implosion.” Wall Street Journal, 2017.

6. Pew Research Center. “Americans and ‘Cancel Culture’,” Sept. 2020 survey. papers.ssrn.com+4FIRE+4Gallup.com+4dokumen.pub+5pewresearch.org+5pewresearch.org+5

7. Pew Research Center. “A growing share of Americans are familiar with ‘cancel culture’,” June 2022. pewresearch.org

8. FIRE. Campus Deplatforming Database (2020–2024). https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/campus-deplatforming-database FIRE+1FIRE+1

9. Gallup. “U.S. Confidence in Higher Education Now Closely Divided,” June 2024 survey. https://news.gallup.com/poll/646880/confidence-higher-education-closely-divided.aspx Gallup.com