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02 THE ENLIGHTENMENT: THE CULTURE OF OPTIMISM, image, image, image, image,…
02 THE ENLIGHTENMENT: THE CULTURE OF OPTIMISM
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Scientific and intellectual advances during Modern Age were not accepted by everybody
Society in the 16th to 18th centuries was still largely illiterate
That made it difficult to universalise and understand ideas and discoveries
Among the educated elites appeared a new intellectual movement, the Enlightenment
was a European phenomenon, that spread also to America
Optimistic intellectual movement that expressed hope in the future
Happiness
individual right and a societal aspiration that leaders were obligated to provide.
Progress
development of knowledge
Reason
Understood as human rationality that could illuminate the darkness and society’s errors
THE EVOLUTION OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Enlightenment was mostly a reformist movement
defended its aims through reforms of politics, society, the economy and culture
Enlightenment thinkers supported extending education to the people and ensuring that the Church did not monopolise it
They placed a lot of importance on education and pedagogy
Enlightenment led to different scientific and technical innovations.
Enlightenment caused the Church and absolutism to lose part of their influence
Also encouraged certain improvements
Enlightenment thinkers knew that was insuficient to achieve reason, progress and happiness
More radical critique of the political and social system emerged
MONTESQUIEU (1689–1755)
The Baron of Montesquieu was a French magistrate who criticised absolute monarchies
Where the king held all fundamental powers.
He proposed a moderate monarchy with out executive, legislative and judicial powers.
ROUSSEAU (1712–1778)
Rousseau was from a middle-class background
Proposed a model of society where sovereignty was in the hands of the people and not of the king
VOLTAIRE (1694–1778)
Voltaire was a wealthy, middle-class property owner
He used to criticised religious fanaticism and the structure of the Church
He was an advocate of freedom of religion.
He was an advocate of freedom of religion.
HE SPREAD OF ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS
New Enlightenment ideas were printed in the press and in books
They were spread by the Encyclopédie, the most important book of the Age of Enlightenment
Encyclopédie were published between 1751 and 1772
About 25,000 people subscribed to it.
At the end of the 18th century, newspapers were published daily
Englightenment ideas were spread by word of mouth in gatherings of the nobility and upper middle class
Ideas were spread in coffee houses, taverns and salons
(These salons were usually known by the name of the people that organised them)
Reading societies were also established
Acted as the first public libraries from which books could be borrowed
Number of titles published increased from 21,000, in 1710 to 65,000, in 1790
Scientists and intellectuals gathered in academies
Where lectures were given, scientific and literary works were read
WOMEN IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Compared to men, women experienced inequality and subordination
SCIENCE, LITERATURE AND ART
As well as organising salons
More women began to work in professions previously only worked in by men
Women made important scientific and cultural contributions during the Age of Enlightenment.
SALONS: MARIE-THÉRÈSE RODET
Enlightenment promoted the exchange of ideas for the progress of knowledge
Marie-Thérèse Rodet attended the literary salons of Paris
Became famous for starting her own salon
ÉMILIE DU CHÂTELET (1706–1749)
A mathematician, physicist and writer, she helped disseminate the theories of Newton
Her translation was a very important step in the dissemination of Newton’s work in France
MARÍA GAETANA AGNESI (1718–1799)
A teacher, linguist and mathematician
Published a number of books on calculus that were used in teaching
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT (1759–1797)
One of the first women to become known as a feminist
She use to work as a translator, she wrote tales and short stories
She also wrote important treatise on women’s rights
