The premise of Darkened Enlightenment is to highlight the fact that there currently exist a number of socio-political forces that have the design or ultimate consequence of trying to extinguish the light of reason and rationality. The book presents a critique of modernity and provides a socio-political and cultural analysis of world society in the early twenty-first century. Specifically this analysis examines the deterioration of democracy human rights and rational thought. Key features include a combination of academic analysis that draws on numerous and specific examples of the growing darkness that surrounds us along with a balanced practical everyday-life approach to the study of the socio-political world we live in through the use of popular culture references and featured boxes. The general audience will also be intrigued by these same topics that concern academics including: a discussion on the meaning of fake news; attacks on the media and a declaration of the news media as the enemy of the people; the rise of populism and nationalism around the world; the deterioration of freedom and human rights globally; the growing economic disparity between the rich and the poor; attempts to devalue education; a growing disbelief in science; attacks on the environment; pseudoscience as a by-product of unreasoned and irrational thinking; the political swamp; the power elites and the deep state; and the variations of Big Business that impact our daily lives. This book will make a great contribution to such fields as sociology philosophy political science environmental science public administration economics psychology and cultural studies. | Darkened Enlightenment The Deterioration of Democracy Human Rights and Rational Thought in the Twenty-First Century