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ENLIGHTENMENT Jonathan Dewald , Europe 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World Peter Hamilton , ‘The Enlightenment and the Birth of Social Science’ Chris Harman, A People’s History of the World. Summary of the lecture notes, dbe. Enlightenment ( Age of Reason). Enlightenment:
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ENLIGHTENMENT Jonathan Dewald, Europe 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World Peter Hamilton, ‘The Enlightenment and the Birth of Social Science’ Chris Harman, A People’s History of the World Summary of the lecture notes, dbe
Enlightenment (Age of Reason) • Enlightenment: • a new framework of ideas about man, society and nature for challenging the existing conceptions rooted in the traditional world-view, especially dominated by Christianity and absolutism: • anti-clerical (religion) • antithetical to despotism/absolutism (politics) • scientific (religion)
Links to R&R and Break from R&R Space & Time Continuity of respect and admire for the antiquity (neoclassical arthitecture & republican politics); Values of Enlightenment REASON FREEDOM INDIVIDUAL TOLERATION SCEPTICISM SECULARISM RATIONALITY EMPRICISM SCIENCE PROGRESS UNIVERSALISM FREEDOM EQUALITY Antiquity (Greco-Roman) Religion (Judeo-Christian) Criticism of the superstitution, ignorance and intolerance of Christianity (and Judaism), Science and Technology Scientific Revolution (Natural Sciences) Criticism of ABSOLUTISM Politics
Criticism of Religion and the Enlightenment values Space & Time REASON: emphasis on one’s reason , not guided by any authority/reason as way of orginizing knowledge FREEDOM: opposition to feudal/traditional constraints on beliefs, trade and communication INDIVIDUAL: Ind. is the starting point for all knowledge and action and ind. reason cannot be subjected to any higher authority. TOLERATION SCEPTICISM: systematic doubt SECULARISM: decreasing influence of religion in the lives of the individuals.
Enlightenment values: Reason, Individual and Freedom Kant’s (1724-1804) definition (in Was ist Aufklarung?/What is Enlightenment?, 1784) “emancipation from self-incurred tutelage” [Tutelage: man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. ] “sapareaude”(“dare to know”). Have courage to use your own REASON! Primacy of REASON AND INDIVIDUAL
2- Science in the Enlightenment Where does knowledge come from? What is it for? Science in the Enlightenment Space & Time EMPRICISM REASON/RATIONALITY SCIENCE: scientific knowledge based on experimental method as developed in scientific revolution of 17th century was the key to expand the all human knowldge. PROGRESS: natural and social conditions of human beings could be improved by the application of science and reason. UNIVERSALISM: Reason and science could be applied to any & every situation and their principles were the same in every situation.