What is the New Enlightenment?

The New Enlightenment is a movement. Its goal is to change society into a freer and more compassionate place. Its method is to empower people to use reason for their own good.

The first Enlightenment, a 17th and 18th century European movement, helped change society by advancing one key idea: that reason and observation are better than authority for figuring out how the world works. This led to a move away from supernaturalism and the divine right of kings, towards science and democracy.

Despite the amazing progress that the first Enlightenment fueled, supernaturalism and arbitrary authority still hold far too much sway on our world. The Secular Student Alliance seeks to continue the important work of the first Enlightenment with a New Enlightenment. Its focus is the same as the first: to spread the power of reason to more people and wean them from authority. We believe that as we promote reason and the courage to use it, people will build societies where they and others are free and empowered to find happiness.

Anybody seen a socket around here?