THE ENLIGHTENMENT

The Enlightenment (also referred to as “Age of Reason”) was a cultural movement in both American colonies and Europe (in particular, France) in the 1700s and early 1800s.

“Freeing human understanding” from the accepted/traditional beliefs and customs (especially religious authority and government authority) by rational and scientific inquiry into all aspects of human life

From OED: “insisted on a rationalist and scientific

approach to the understanding of human society, the law, education, the economy, etc.,”

Roots in: Scientific advances – Newton, Galileo, etc.

Use of scientific process (observation, hypothesis, experimentation) to figure out universal laws

Exploration, trade, and economic advances

Shift from God’s providence to exploration/understanding of the world, nature, mankind, etc.

Less reliance of theology, scripture, metaphysical understanding of world

More emphasis on “Supreme Architect” – use human reason to understand the world already created by God (but no longer necessarily influenced by him)

“It belongs not to man to read in the future the decrees of Providence. But science may attempt to comprehend the purposes of God, as to the destinies of nations, by examining with care the theater, seemingly arranged by Him for the realizations of the new social order, towards which humanity is tending with hope.”

Arnold Guyot, The Earth and Man, 1849

With shift of attitude toward God/providence comes shift in attitude toward role of man in society Universal laws = ability to understand man

(behaviors, values, goals, etc.)

With ability to study/understand universal laws comes responsibility to study human behavior and human perfectibility

Man has free agency Use of reason to know right and wrong

Universal laws – man is born with moral and intellectual ability to discover/cultivate perfection and happiness Since man is born with this (as a gift from

God/ “benevolent maker”) it is his duty to cultivate these abilities

As an individual, man can use reason to achieve success and use success to better society

As a society, we can use reason to understand human needs and create governments and laws that best meet these needs

“Benevolent duty”

In order to discover/cultivate abilities, man must be free to do so *cough* *cough* American Revolution

Franklin = Enlightenment archetype Embodied commitment to self-betterment and

using these “cultivated abilities” to better society

“In a sense, Franklin’s attitude was simply a modernization of the Puritan concept of fruitful industry. But whereas the Calvinist regarded prosperity as a mark of God’s favor and a possible sign of heavenly reward, Franklin looked upon it as a means of establishing the earthly happiness of mankind”

“The Enlightenment has…made a greater contribution to our social ideology than any other body of thought. In its emphasis upon rationality, in its faith in human progress, in its belief in the benevolence and perfectibility of man, in its desire for social improvement, and in its passion for equality based upon natural rights, it has set a pattern for a world that is still to be achieved but which represents the sum of our desires…”