Why Grow Up? Subversive Thoughts for an Infantile Age by Susan Neiman

Susan Neiman was a philosophy professor at Yale and now lives in Berlin. This book wasn't quite what I thought it would be and turned out to be a vigorous defense of the Enlightenment, invoking Kant, Rousseau and their pals. Neiman tells us that there are forces conspiring to keep us infantile - principally government and corporations - because an infantile population is easier to manipulate and control. The answer is to embrace the Enlightenment challenge to think for yourself.

While I don't agree with Neiman's assessment of the Enlightenment, I always appreciate a sincere, principle, and straightforward defense of a philosophical position. And Neiman is a clear and excellent writer.