This chapter explores humanity’s enduring belief in perfectibility, rooted in Enlightenment ideals of rationality and progress. Thinkers like Locke and Rousseau envisioned a better world through education, science, and reform, leading to advancements in public health and governance. The Enlightenment’s mechanistic view of nature, championed by Bacon and Newton, sought to dominate and understand the world through predictable laws. However, critics warned against oversimplification and hubris, emphasizing humanity’s interconnectedness with complex systems. This chapter sets the stage for the central tension between modernity’s quest for control and the reality of uncertainty, questioning whether Enlightenment ideals suffice for today’s complex challenges.