Crash Course European History: The Enlightenment

Introduction

• John Green, host of Crash Course European History.
• Recent focus: Political change, continuous warfare, and the seventeenth century's little ice age.
• Shift in everyday perceptions and supernatural beliefs.
  • Example: Earthquakes and eclipses linked to human events.
  • Earthquake in Istanbul (1648) viewed as an omen.
  • Lisbon earthquake (1755) interpreted differently due to Enlightenment ideas.

The Enlightenment

Definition and Scope

• Enlightenment: Age of Light; exposure of old beliefs to rational investigation.
• Focus not only on cosmic and mathematical theories but also on social structures, trade, and governance.

Key Themes

• Challenge to tradition and its rational evaluation.
• Europe undergoing social transformation:
  • Introduction of new commodities (e.g., coffee, tea, chocolate, tobacco).
  • Travel and encounters with different social structures and norms.
  • European exposure to advancements and diverse social systems leading to critical perspectives.

Intellectual Figures and Critiques

• Montesquieu:
  • Criticized outdated lifestyles.
  • Wrote "Persian Letters" mocking European and eastern societies.
• Voltaire:
  • Known for satire and criticism of rulers.
  • Advocated honesty and simplicity (e.g., in "Candide").
  • Prisoned due to his critiques.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau:
  • Promoted natural education and middle-class values in "Emile".
  • Criticized rote learning and endorsed practical skills.

Social Practices and Changes

• Salons as centers for intellectual discussion.
• Change in fashion influenced by practicality and foreign trends.
• Rise in text availability (e.g., Encyclopedie) promoting Enlightenment values.
• Focus on practical knowledge and social reform.

Enlightenment Ideas in Practice

Philosophy and Politics

• David Hume:
  • Promoted reason over religion.
  • Deism as a more distant view of God.
• Voltaire's activism against religious persecution (e.g., Jean Calas case).

Movements for Freedom

• Abolitionism:
  • Growing acknowledgment of slavery's cruelty.
  • Prominent works by Guillaume Raynal and Olaudah Equiano.
• Economic freedom:
  • Adam Smith's free-market principles in "The Wealth of Nations".
  • Emphasis on individual self-interest and societal prosperity.
• Political theory:
  • Rousseau's "The Social Contract" advocating for government by "general will".
  • Kant's emphasis on individual reason and rational thought.

Impact and Criticism

• Influence on upper-class Jewish women and intellectual circles.
• Mixed legacy: Rational thought used to justify structural inequalities.
• Long-term consequences: Shift from divine explanations to rational investigations of natural events.

Conclusion

• Enlightenment ideas brought significant change but also had limitations and contradictions.
• Ongoing impact on how society perceives and addresses inequality and injustice.