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THE ENLIGHTENMENT: THE CULTURE OF OPTIMISM - Coggle Diagram
THE ENLIGHTENMENT: THE CULTURE OF OPTIMISM
CHARACTERISTICS
The scientific and intellectual advances
not accepted by
powers
religious
political
society in the 16th to 18th centuries
largely illiterate
extremely difficult to
universalise and understand
ideas
discoveries
France was its main epicentre
It spread to the Americas
Enlightenment thinkers were
the bourgeoisie
noblemen
clergymen
optimistic intellectual movement
expressed hope in the future
REASON
human rationality
illuminate the
darkness
society’s errors
The way to overcome
biased notions
religious dogmas.
This led some Enlightenment thinkers
to challenge all religious beliefs
PROGRESS
development of knowledge
so that civilisation could
control nature
create well-being and wealth.
HAPPINESS
an individual right
societal aspiration that leaders were obligated to provide
THE EVOLUTION OF ENLIGHTENMENT
reformist movement
reforms of
politics
society
economy
culture
Gave importance to
education
extending it to the people
ensuring that the Church did not monopolise it
they wanted to limit it to basic knowledge
reserving the most important knowledge for the intellectual elites.
pedagogy
It led to scientific and technical innovations
Church and absolutism
lost part of their influence
as there was more critical intellectual attitude
some progress was made in literacy within society
Notably in Prussia
the world’s first regulated primary education system for
boys
Girls
Most Enlightenment thinkers were monarchists
supported reforming monarchies
to guarantee individual rights
to moderate the power of absolute kings
Important achievements were made
Enlightenment thinkers thought they were not enough
so
more radical critique of the political and social system emerged
Thinkers like Diderot, Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau
were the intellectual link that united the Enlightenment
with the major changes in the last third of the 18th century.
MONTESQUIEU (1689–1755)
French magistrate
criticised absolute monarchies where the king held all the power
proposed a moderate monarchy with separation of the
powers
executive
legislative
judicial
VOLTAIRE (1694- 1778)
property owner
wealthy
middle-class
criticised
religious fanaticism
structure of the church
Advocate of freedom of religion
In favour of enlightened despotism
fought for
civil right
judicial reforms
ROUSSEAU (1712-1778)
Middle-class
proposed a model of society
sovereignty was in the hands of the people and not of the king
supported democracy
believed that society should be guided by the general will
expressed directly by the sovereign people
THE SPREAD OF ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS
They were printed in the press and in books
Thanks to the Encyclopédie
the most important book of the Age of Enlightenment
edited by French Enlightenment thinkers
Diderot
D'Alembert
28 volumes
a total of 160 contributors wrote the 72000 articles that made it up
published between
1751
1772
It summarised the knowledge of the era
Topic and ideas were organised alphabetically
About 25000 people subscribed to it
At the end of the 18th century
newspapers were published daily, weekly and on Sundays
The first spanish newspaper
Diario noticioso, curioso, erudito, comercial y político
published in 1758
They were not spread in
churches
families
guilds
They were spread
by word of mouth in gatherings of
the nobility
the upper middle class
coffee houses
taverns
salons
known by the name of the people that organised them
Guests and well-known philosophers and writers
discussed the most outstanding readings of the time
Reading societies were established
first public libraries from which books could be borrowed
Number of books published increased
In England
the number increased from 21000 in 1710 to 65000 in 1790
books on religion were placed by those on
science
arts
philosophy
literature
Scientists and intellectuals gathered in academies
lectures were given
scientific and literary works were read
practical work was carried out
studies of
topography
agriculture
climate
dictionaries and statistics on population
professions and income
Scientific and archaeological expeditions
industrial projects
Studies were supported by monarchs
who were interested in implementing government reforms
Monarchs created academies
Academy of Science of
Paris (France)
St.Petersburg(Russia)
Berlin(Prussia)
WOMEN IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Women experienced
inequality
subordination
Wealthy women
protested about their social situation
tried to improve it
based on Enlightenment ideas of progress and reasoning
Salons: Marie-Thérèse Rodet (1699-1777)
She attended the literary salons of Paris
Eventually, she became famous for starting her own salon
her guests included
D'Alembert
Diderot
Benjamin Franklin
Montesquieu
Voltaire
Suzanne Corchod
Madame Necker
Gustav III of Sweden
Science, literature and art
More and more women started working in professions
previously only worked in by men
They became visible in activities previously denied to them
Women made important contributions in
Culture
Science
Émilie du Châtelet (1706-1749)
Mathematician
Physicist
writer
She translated Newton's theories into French in order to spread it
Very important step in the dissemination of Newton's work in France
worked with Voltaire
Regularly met with important scientists
Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799)
Teacher
at the University of Bologna
linguist
mathematician
spoke several languages
published a number of books of calculus
that were used in teaching for a long time
Mary Wollstonecraft
One of the first women to become feminist
translator
wrote
tales
an important treatise on women's rights
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
