History and Nature in the Enlightenment

'With exceptional command of the key texts, the author adds a significant dimension to our understanding of the Enlightenment. By focussing in an illuminating way on the Enlightenment's belief in the need for humanity's mastery of Nature, this is a work that adds historical depth and resonance to many of our present concerns.' John Gascoigne,University of New South Wales, Australia 'Wolloch's account is readable and stimulating... [and] make[s] an excellent historiographical counterpart to other works addressing the Enlightenment outlook...' H-Albion '... Wolloch has written a useful, well-documented study of an important idea - one that is likely to lead to further development as environmental issues continue to gain prominence in eighteenth-century studies.' Eighteenth-Century Scotland 'The strengths of the book include valuable discussions of several lesser-known writers whom Gibbon read, such as Robert Henry, John Pinkerton, William Robertson, and the abbé Raynal. Some very well known authors also appear in a new light, including Adam Smith, David Hume, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The book is well documented in the secondary sources concerning all of these writers.' American Historical Review 'Although he makes clear his thinkers’ Eurocentric biases, Wolloch’s painstaking and morally-serious echoing of their search for a positive narrative convinces us that they still have much to teach our more sceptical age about the possibilities of progress.' Enlightenment and Dissent