I think you're right, we've had our age of enlightenment. But like the Renaissance men, it is not enough to help us really evolve. Enlightenment has been sporadic at best and incompetent most often. We've always taken the rough road to travel. Then again, I'm a pessimist who observes things literally and can't help but wonder where "she" exists in a "he."
 
Why indeed, trouble yourself? It's far easier to insinuate "feminine" as a political correct joke and use English grammar as an excuse that allows "him" to speak for her. This way men can perceive the world revolving around men, period; while they continue to assume women will follow. I can't help but wonder, why not allow her to speak for humanity, instead? After all, she's the one who made it possible for "he" to exist. "He" can't even create. Men either don't realize or forget a profound reality; females are the only life forms that carry the seed (despite documented Biblical mendacities). If we continue to acknowledge women through men, ignoring their relevance and profound significance we will never evolve. Only through women will men find their salvation.

Another impediment to human progress involves our refusal to embrace God as an entity of beauty and grace beyond anything our simple minds can perceive. Instead many (far more literal than even I) worship a god with the emotional intelligence of an adolescent male having a wet dream. In Genesis (King Jame's interpretation --- not to be confused with the first of five books in the Torah) God is nothing more than a despot denying his creations knowledge while preferring them nude. He accuses Adam and Eve of disobedience even though he created them (giving them the right to deny responsibility for disobedience, I should think. I also suspect it would be awful hard to understand the meaning of "obey" after he benighted them). Because of this god, women today are still not educated. Because of this god, Galileo (you mentioned) was brought before the Roman Catholic Inquisition in Rome (a church that used God to torture people and suppress knowledge) and was forced to renounce his writings supporting the Copernican theory. But he wasn't any more special than the millions of others murdered because of jealous, revengeful, demonic gods. With gods like these, who needs devils?
 
Unfortunately the Christians have always believed in their own Antichrist. As a Christian, I'm taking Jesus, God, and women back from those who stole their potential. Enlightenment cannot be manifested without their inspiration. --- The next time I see a pregnant man or a man who truly acknowledges women as awesome, wonderful, unique individuals he can evolve along with us... I'm still waiting to see who comes first...