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European Enlightenment: Difference between revisions
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1680-1790 | * 1680-1790 | ||
* a product of the Protestant Reformation | * a product of the Protestant Reformation | ||
* intellectual "Age of Reason" | * intellectual "Age of Reason" | ||
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* pursuit of happiness: focus on the human condition | * pursuit of happiness: focus on the human condition | ||
* diffusion of knowledge: books, pamphlets, publications, libraries, universities | * diffusion of knowledge: books, pamphlets, publications, libraries, universities | ||
== | == Key dates== | ||
* 1648: end of the 30 Years War (religious dispute was a core cause of the war) | * 1648: end of the 30 Years War (religious dispute was a core cause of the war) | ||
* 1680: publication of Isaac Newton's ''Principio Mathematica'' | * 1680: publication of Isaac Newton's ''Principio Mathematica'' | ||
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== Enlightenment projects == | == Enlightenment projects == | ||
=== Diderot's Encylopedie === | === Diderot's "Encylopedie" === | ||
* a tremendous project to catalog human knowledge | * a tremendous project to catalog human knowledge | ||
* = an exercise in "freedom of thought" | * = an exercise in "freedom of thought" | ||
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* started by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert | * started by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert | ||
* goals: | * goals: | ||
** Diderot wrote that the purpose of the project was ""to change the way people think" | ** Diderot wrote that the purpose of the project was ""to change the way people think" | ||
** to disseminate (spread) knowledge across economic classes | ** to disseminate (spread) knowledge across economic classes | ||
** to give more common people access to practical knowledge, especially mechanics | ** to give more common people access to practical knowledge, especially mechanics | ||
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* some of the ideas presented in the encyclopedia were considered radical | * some of the ideas presented in the encyclopedia were considered radical | ||
** the French government banned it in 1759 | ** the French government banned it in 1759 | ||
** the work supported religious freedom | ** the work supported religious freedom | ||
** many entries challenged religious doctrine | ** many entries challenged religious doctrine | ||
*** under the idea that knowledge is provable, the work treated religion as also subject to proof | *** under the idea that knowledge is provable, the work treated religion as also subject to proof | ||
*** the work attacked mysticism and superstition | *** the work attacked mysticism and superstition | ||
==== taxonomy of human knowledge | ==== taxonomy of human knowledge ==== | ||
[[File:ENC SYSTEME FIGURE.jpeg|thumb|Fig. 3: "Figurative system of human knowledge", the structure that the Encyclopédie organised knowledge into. It had three main branches: memory, reason, and imagination.]] | [[File:ENC SYSTEME FIGURE.jpeg|thumb|Fig. 3: "Figurative system of human knowledge", the structure that the Encyclopédie organised knowledge into. It had three main branches: memory, reason, and imagination.]] | ||
* Enlightenment's outlook was that all human knowledge and the world and universe around it can be understood rationally | |||
** therefore, such knowledge can be organized logical | |||
* the Encyclopedia organized knowledge into three main categories: | * the Encyclopedia organized knowledge into three main categories: | ||
** memory (factual knowledge) | ** memory (factual knowledge) | ||
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=== entry structure === | === entry structure === | ||
<nowiki> === </nowiki>section title: first, last, alphabetical by last name | <nowiki> === </nowiki>section title: first, last, alphabetical by last name | ||
* dates | |||
* core ideas | * core ideas | ||
* works | * works | ||
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=== Cesare Beccaria === | === Cesare Beccaria === | ||
* ''On Crimes and Punishments'' | *''On Crimes and Punishments'' | ||
** condemned torture and the death penality | ** condemned torture and the death penality | ||
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* he also wrote plays and was a prominent art critic | * he also wrote plays and was a prominent art critic | ||
* overall, Diderot's thoughts are expressed in these questions, as proposed by one of his biographers, Andrew S. Curran: | * overall, Diderot's thoughts are expressed in these questions, as proposed by one of his biographers, Andrew S. Curran: | ||
** ''Why be moral in a world without god?'' | **''Why be moral in a world without god?'' | ||
** ''How should we appreciate art?'' | **''How should we appreciate art?'' | ||
** ''What are we and where do we come from?'' | **''What are we and where do we come from?'' | ||
** ''What are sex and love?'' | **''What are sex and love?'' | ||
** ''How can a philosopher intervene in political affairs?'' | **''How can a philosopher intervene in political affairs?'' | ||
* Diderot quotation: | * Diderot quotation: | ||
** ''"posterity is for the philosopher what the 'other world' is for the man of religion."'' | **''"posterity is for the philosopher what the 'other world' is for the man of religion."'' | ||
=== Robert Hooke === | === Robert Hooke === | ||
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=== David Hume === | === David Hume === | ||
* the problem of induction | * the problem of induction | ||
** how do you know that the sun will rise tomorrow? | ** how do you know that the sun will rise tomorrow? | ||
** Greek verwion of hte question >>> todo | ** Greek verwion of hte question >>> todo | ||
* reason will always be the slave of passion | * reason will always be the slave of passion | ||
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** | ** | ||
* works: | * works: | ||
** ''Nathan the Wise'', a play on religious tolerance | **''Nathan the Wise'', a play on religious tolerance | ||
click EXPAND for details on ''Nathan the Wise'' and the "parable of the rings" | click EXPAND for details on ''Nathan the Wise'' and the "parable of the rings" | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | ||
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=== Isaac Newton === | === Isaac Newton === | ||
* ''Principio Mathematica'' | *''Principio Mathematica'' | ||
* launched idea of a divinely-ordered universe understandable by mathematics | * launched idea of a divinely-ordered universe understandable by mathematics | ||
=== Voltaire === | === Voltaire === | ||
* Candide: satire on Englightenment thought "best of all possible worlds" << to do | * Candide: satire on Englightenment thought "best of all possible worlds" << to do | ||