Throughout history, one of the features of humanity that stands out the most is our desire to learn more. Human curiosity has led us to explore every corner of the earth, and even the world beyond the earth. Many professions, from scientists to engineers to historians, revolve around breaking apart what they know until they understand what makes it work. The oldest stories and myths served as an answer to the question of why the world acts in certain ways.

The Enlightenment project began as a process to seek out understanding and certainty as a society. It started out looking for information as objectively as possible, removing individual perspective to allow for proper prediction and understanding. Over time and multiple movements, the project shifted to prioritize information only available through certain perspectives and analyze the actual meaning of truth and enlightenment.

With how much time and effort in human history is spent on learning, it stands to reason that obtaining knowledge is beneficial to us in some way. More accurately, the reduction of uncertainty and rise of certainty that comes from discovering knowledge is a benefit. As humans, we all have innate needs that must be satisfied to survive and enjoy life; certainty has the power to satisfy those needs.

This exhibit explores how certainty brings fulfillment to humanity. Each room covers an aspect of what certainty provides. It can give resources to fulfill spiritual desires, provide control over physical and emotional needs, and focus on what is most important in moral struggles. Exploring the value of certainty to humanity helps us to recognize why we seek it out and how this led to the creation and progress of the Enlightenment project.