The European Enlightenment as a whole consisted, to a great extent, in a continuous exercise of observation, admiration and imitation. An appreciation of the active role of the enlightened class in understanding, disseminating and applying to their own countries the new concepts, ideals or experiences that they discovered beyond their borders is essential in order to rediscover the nature of the
... [Show full abstract] Spanish Enlightenment. Singling out Spain may seem rather eccentric when talking about the European Enlightenment. In fact, the traditional interpretation, which denies this country a place within the European movement, has never been fully dispelled. The main objective of this article is to emphasise the relevance of intellectual history in combating some of the main topics that profess the absence or the weakness of the Enlightenment in Spain.