Age of Enlightenment — Who Gets to Decide What's True?

Who determines what counts as knowledge—and what happens when that authority changes?Welcome to Crisis in Perception, where we examine the systems shaping our world.Using Age of Enlightenment: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History as our foundation, this episode explores the hidden systems behind one of history's most transformative intellectual movements. Rather than viewing the Enlightenment as simply an era of great thinkers, we investigate how societies shifted from relying primarily on inherited authority toward reason, scientific inquiry, and public debate as new ways of establishing truth.Along the way, we examine how religion, science, education, publishing, and political institutions interacted to reshape modern civilization and why that transformation continues to influence the world today.Watch on YouTube:https://youtu.be/7s5Fww_8OjgSupport the project on Patreon:https://patreon.com/CrisisInPerceptionAuthor SupportIf these ideas resonate, consider reading the work yourself or borrowing it from your local library. Supporting authors and libraries helps keep critical inquiry accessible.If you value systems-level analysis like this, please follow, rate, and share the project.AI Use DisclosureThis content was created using AI-assisted tools for research synthesis, structuring, and narration support. All analysis, framing, and editorial decisions are guided by human judgment as part of the Crisis in Perception project.