by Dr. Sunil H. Der, Ms. Udhayabanu A, Dr. Vivian Wilson Lobo, Dr. Arabinda Rajkhowa, Dr. K.B. Glory, Dr. Sudhir Nikam, Dr. Hradayesh kumar
ABSTRACT
The Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason, transformed European thought by merging rational inquiry with artistic imagination. Literature emerged as a medium through which writers such as Voltaire, Pope, and Diderot translated scientific rationality into moral and aesthetic discourse, humanising the pursuit of knowledge and virtue. This study investigates how Enlightenment literature interpreted and humanised reason by bridging scientific thought with moral and artistic ideals. It examines the literary mechanisms through which rationality was expressed as both an intellectual and ethical force. Employing a qualitative approach rooted in New Historicism and Aesthetic Humanism, the study analyses key studies—Candide, Essay on Man, and Rameau’s Nephew—through thematic, rhetorical, and philosophical lenses. Contextual and comparative analyses identify how literature served as both a critique and an expression of rational ideals. Findings reveal that Enlightenment literature achieved a moral–intellectual balance, with rational and ethical dimensions peaking near 90%. Writers infused scientific concepts such as Newtonian harmony and empiricism into literary art, transforming them into symbols of moral order. Emotional sensibility, rising in late Enlightenment studies, complemented rationalism, promoting a compassionate humanism that endured across later literary eras. The study concludes that Enlightenment literature unified art, science, and ethics, crafting a humanistic model of reason grounded in virtue and creativity. Its enduring legacy lies in its synthesis of intellect and emotion, shaping modern understandings of cultural progress and moral consciousness.
