America, observers are fond of saying, is the only country based upon an idea. That idea—that all men and women are created equal and have inalienable rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness—is directly informed by the Enlightenment, the movement that dominated ideas and culture in the 18th century.

But are we still an Enlightenment nation?

Reason's Nick Gillespie sat down with Steven Pinker, Harvard linguist and author of Enlightenment Now, to discuss that question and more.

Edited by Todd Krainin.