Deep cultural structures of the enlightenment movement and their role in modern social transformation

Abstract

This study examines the deep cultural structures of the Enlightenment movement and their continuing significance for modern social transformation. The purpose is to analyze how Enlightenment ideology, understood through the concepts of rationality, virtue, and harmonization, provided a foundation for cultural synthesis and value systems that remain relevant today. The methodology combines historical typological, comparative, and systemic analysis of literary, philosophical, and socio-political sources from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, complemented by modern interdisciplinary perspectives. The results show that the Enlightenment functioned as both a cultural and pedagogical framework, integrating diverse intellectual traditions into a model of middle culture aimed at reconciliation and civic progress. Its deep structures fostered enduring axiological constants that influenced later movements, including realism and romanticism. The conclusion highlights the Enlightenment as a transformative force whose cultural legacy continues to shape debates on education, morality, and social development in contemporary society.