What philosophies are valued by Enlightened Reason?
The philosophy of Enlightened Reason encourages the study of Classical philosophies such as those of Plato, Aristotle, and the Neoplatonists, not only for the intellectual pursuit of knowledge, but also to gain a valuable perspective into the Golden Age of Philosophy. The philosophy of the Stoics is also held in high regard, especially the Meditations of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The most valued aspects of these philosophies, above all other considerations, is that they actually force one to think, even if (or especially if) you disagree with certain points. The philosophies that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment are no less valuable as well. The writings of Spinoza, Voltaire, Hume, Kant, and even Benjamin Franklin, have come to shape our modern perspective on the value of reason and critical thinking. In the 20th and 21st century, these Enlightenment era philosophies continued to evolve through the various inter-related schools of rationalism, empiricism, objectivism, instrumenta
