Both Uses
Enlightenment
in
Don Quixote
(Edited)
- He put it aside with extreme satisfaction, and the barber went on, "These that come next are 'The Shepherd of Iberia,' 'Nymphs of Henares,' and 'The Enlightenment of Jealousy.'"
Chpt 1.5-6 *the enlightenment = provision of better understanding
- On the other hand, it struck me that, inasmuch as among his books there had been found such modern ones as "The Enlightenment of Jealousy" and the "Nymphs and Shepherds of Henares," his story must likewise be modern, and that though it might not be written, it might exist in the memory of the people of his village and of those in the neighbourhood.
Chpt 1.9-10
Definitions:
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(1)
(enlightenment as in: provided for your enlightenment) a state of increased understandingOccasionally, enlightenment can refer more specifically to an elevated spiritual state. In Buddhism & Hinduism is would refer to achieving nirvana.
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(2)
(Enlightenment as in: during the Enlightenment...) a primarily 18th-century movement, especially in Europe and the American colonies, that used reason and scientific investigation to challenge beliefs rooted in ancient authority or superstitionThinkers in Britain, France, Germany, and the American colonies argued that reason—not custom or blind authority—should guide politics, religion, and society. Their ideas stressed individual rights, religious tolerance, and limits on absolute monarchy, and they helped inspire major changes, including the American and French Revolutions.
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, enlightenment may be used as a proper noun with a non-standard specialized meaning.