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The Enlightenment consisted of the elites of an agrarian state, Bourbon France, trying and mostly failing to understand the neighboring commercial societies that were starting to pull ahead of them.

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That is an interesting point of view. I have never heard it before, but it makes sense.

Of course, it is important to remember that the British and the Dutch played an important role in the Enlightenment. I think they were trying to understand why their own nations were pulling ahead as well.

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