51¶¯Âþ

Enlightenment thinkers worked to establish a science of humanity. They are
portrayed in Inventing Human Science by Christopher Fox, Roy Porter and Robert
Wokler (University of Chicago Press, £24/$45, ISBN 0 520 20010
1), a fine set of essays that re-examines their work in the light of modern
agendas. As they gradually adopted scientific standards of evidence, some of
their more unpleasant prejudices were weeded out. However, then as now, the
deeper agendas remain.