Part 6/8:
Expounding further, Benjamin connects these ideas to the Enlightenment, challenging the narrative that this pivotal movement emerged in a vacuum. He argues that it stemmed from a complex heritage of philosophical thought and cultural evolution over centuries. The work of thinkers like Francis Bacon illustrates the evolution of thought that led to the Scientific Revolution and, subsequently, the Enlightenment.
Bacon’s critique of contemporary education and reliance on Aristotelian logic, which led to a flawed understanding of truth, provoked a shift towards a more empirical approach to knowledge. However, this enlightenment also contributed to the detachment from the sacred and the spiritual, causing a gradual distancing from the Divine in the collective consciousness.