01:510:102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Age Of Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant, Persian Letters
12 May 2018
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Chapter 19 - Culture and society in 18th Century Europe
Intro to Enlightenment
Enlightenment: period of time roughly 1720-1790 when scholars believed in the use of reason and
scientific method
• The use of reason eventually sparked revolution throughout the world
• A new way of looking at religion, politics and society
• Based upon Cartesian influence of doubt and skepticism - criticism
Philosophers based their ideas on the discoveries of the scientific revolution
Principles of Enlightened Thought
1. Reason: Logic which is absent of intolerance, bigotry and prejudice
2. Nature: Natural laws for everything
3. Happiness: Result of accepting nature’s laws
4. Progress: Could perfect human society
5. Liberty: Freedom of thought
Who participated?
• France: anti-establishment critics (salons)
• Scotland and German States: universities
• Prussia, Austria and Russian: Monarchy
Immanuel Kant: What is the Enlightenment? 1784
• Freedom to use one's mind
Enlightenment began with the confluence of the English empirical - analytical (Newton / Locke)
movement and the French rationalist movement (Descartes)
• Voltaire was brought the two movements together
Voltaire:
• Francois - Marie Arouet, pen name Voltaire
• Jesuit education, general trouble maker (challenged authority), forced to live in England for three
years
• Traveled through out Europe over the course of his life
Philosophical Letters Concerning the English Nation 1734
• Presented the English system as superior to the French in terms of religious tolerance, political
constitution and empirical expression of thought
Candide 1759
find more resources at oneclass.com
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• Story about young man who was forced to travel throughout the known world
• "Travel" literature was a common genre of satirical literature during the Enlightenment
• ie. Persian Letter, 1721 (Montesquieu). Gulliver's Travels, 1726 (Swift).
• Satire aimed at a very cosmopolitan audience, attacked all traditional sources of authority in
Europe
Treaties on Toleration 1763
• attempted to clear memory of Jean Cala (accused of murdering his son to prevent conversion to
Catholicism)
• Attacked intolerance and the Christian church
Deist: Deism saw god as an inventor of natural law with little or no interference
• God as a clockmaker
Impact of Voltaire: life work resulted in the confluence of the British empirical / analytical movement with
French rationalism, creating the basis of the French Enlightenment
David Hume: 1711-1776
• Scottish Philosopher
• Claimed to be too skeptical to be an atheist
• An Enquiry Concerning Human Knowledge, 1748
1. All knowledge was dependent upon sensory input, thus no knowledge could be absolute
2. Church was no longer absolute
• “Religion grows out of hope or fear”
Montesquieu
• Charles – Louis de Secondat a.k.a. Baron Montesquieu
• Persian Letters, 1721. “Travel” genre. Satire of Parisian morals from the perspective of Persian
diplomats.
• Called all aspects of French society into question
• Considerations on the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans, 1734
• established pattern of historical study
• examined the decline and fall to understand natural laws of government
1. Rome fell because grandeur and decadence destroyed traditional Roman virtues
• Conclusion: One can only maintain a healthy govt. / society by maintaining virtue
• The Spirit of Laws, 1748
• Attempt to expand upon the conclusions presented in the Considerations
• All govt. fit into one of three categories
• Republics, Monarchies and despots
• Republics were upheld by virtue and moderation, but threatened by vice and excess
• Monarchies were upheld by honor, kings guided by LAW, threatened by corruption
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 19 - culture and society in 18th century europe. Philosophers based their ideas on the discoveries of the scientific revolution. Principles of enlightened thought: reason: logic which is absent of intolerance, bigotry and prejudice, nature: natural laws for everything, happiness: result of accepting nature"s laws, progress: could perfect human society, liberty: freedom of thought. Who participated: france: anti-establishment critics (salons, scotland and german states: universities, prussia, austria and russian: monarchy. Enlightenment began with the confluence of the english empirical - analytical (newton / locke) movement and the french rationalist movement (descartes: voltaire was brought the two movements together. Voltaire: francois - marie arouet, pen name voltaire. Jesuit education, general trouble maker (challenged authority), forced to live in england for three years: traveled through out europe over the course of his life. Philosophical letters concerning the english nation 1734: presented the english system as superior to the french in terms of religious tolerance, political constitution and empirical expression of thought.
