Crash Course European History: The Enlightenment

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Focus on non-political changes during the 17th-century Little Ice Age, beyond warfare and politics.
• Shift in human perception of the world, from supernatural to rational.

Earthquakes and Enlightenment

• Historical linkage of natural phenomena like earthquakes with human events.
• Example: Istanbul earthquake (1648) seen as a portent of the sultan's death.
• Lisbon earthquake (1755) challenged the belief in divine punishment.
• Voltaire criticized simplistic divine interpretations, highlighting a shift toward rationalism.

Enlightenment Ideas and Impact

• Not just scientific theories but also social and political ideas.
• Key Themes:
  • Relationship between social classes.
  • Trade and manufacturing.
  • Government and ordinary people.
• Belief that traditional ideas needed rational examination.

Everyday Life Transformations

• Introduction of commodities from the Americas like coffee, tea, chocolate.
• Increased availability of food (e.g., potatoes, corn) leading to better nutrition.
• Travelers' observations informed European views on social structures and civility.

Critiques of Society

• Montesquieu: Satirized European society and its customs in "Persian Letters."
• Voltaire: Criticized aristocracy, promoted honesty and simple living.
  • Featured these themes in "Candide."

Educational and Social Reforms

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Advocated for education reform and natural living in "Emil."
• Rousseau's ideas promoted middle-class values and domestic roles for women.
• Enlightenment salons as hubs for philosophical exchange.

Fashion and Culture

• Shift from aristocratic fashion to more practical clothing.
• Imported cottons became popular despite legal restrictions.
• New texts like the "Encyclopédie" promoted discussion of various topics.

Philosophical Developments

• David Hume: Prioritized reason over religion.
• Deism: God as a distant creator with no daily influence.
• Voltaire's Activism: Opposed religious persecution, highlighted through Jean Colas's case.

Movements Against Slavery

• Rising abolitionist sentiment in Europe.
• Olaudah Equiano's memoir raised awareness about the cruelty of the slave trade.

Economic Theories

• Adam Smith: Advocated free markets and trade in "The Wealth of Nations."
• Criticized mercantilism, opposed absolutism, and supported social policies.

Political Thought

• Rousseau's Social Contract: Advocated collective general will but warned of potential for dictatorship.
• Immanuel Kant: Emphasized individual reason and self-thinking.

Enlightenment's Broader Influence

• Empowered marginalized groups like Jewish women in salons.
• Moses Mendelssohn: Optimistic about Jewish future in Europe.
• Acknowledged that rationality can also justify inequality.

Conclusion

• Enlightenment encouraged seeking rational explanations for social phenomena.
• Despite flaws, it laid the groundwork for imagining better worlds.