The history of philosophy is often divided up into the history of modernity and its prehistory. History begins with the subject being enlightened about itself, and everything leading up to that point is seen as prehistory. This perspective does not consider any other forms of enlightenment at all. This book attempts to reconstruct the enlightenments that have been declared non-modern and to reintegrate the interrupted transfer process.

Arbogast Schmitt, University of Marburg, Germany.