Coffee in the Age of Reason Coffeehouse Culture in 18 th Century Europe

What social role do coffeehouses play where you live?

Coffee, the sober drink, the mighty nourishment of the brain, which unlike other spirits, heightens purity and lucidity; coffee, which clears the clouds of imagination and their gloomy weight; which illuminates the reality of things suddenly with the flash of truth. - Jules Michelet, French Historian

Customers in today’s coffee shops may be surprised to learn that they are participating in a centuries-old tradition that has contributed a great deal to the idea of “modernity.”

The “Wine” of Islam becomes the “Drink of Reason” in Europe Tradition has it that an Ethiopian goatherd first discovered coffee when he noticed that his goats became frisky and danced after consuming the coffee berries. Botanists agree that coffee probably originated in Ethiopia and then spread to Yemen and across the Arabian peninsula by around 1000 C.E.

The first coffeehouse In 1457, the first public coffeehouse opened in Istanbul, and from there coffeehouses became a popular institution throughout the Muslim world. European travelers in Istanbul were astonished as its inhabitants’ passion for coffee, which one described as “black as soote, and tasting not much unlike it.”

Coffee in Europe Italian merchants introduced coffee to Europe around 1600, and the first European coffee shop opened in Venice in 1645, soon followed by shops in Oxford, England in 1650, London in 1652, and Paris in By the 1730s, coffee shops had become so popular in London that one observer noted, “There are some people of moderate Fortunes, that lead their Lives in Coffee Houses, they eat, drink, and sleep (in the Day-time) in Them.” 18 th Century Viennese Coffeehouse

Science in the Coffeehouse Science played an active part in the life of coffee houses in the 17 th and 18th centuries through the regular lectures that would take place inside them. Interest in learning about science, and astronomy and mathematics in particular, grew enormously after the death of Isaac Newton. Lots of people wanted to be able to understand his work.

Science in the Coffeehouse Out of this interest came the lecturers. Some put on spectacular shows explaining scientific principles and techniques to a lay audience. They often used apparatus they had built themselves, which could then be bought or commissioned from them by members of the audience. An orrerry

The “Penny Universities” Coffee houses were often called the “penny universities” because of the cheap education they provided. For an entrance fee of one penny visitors could read the newspapers, listen to lecturers and engage in discussion on any manner of disparate topics. So great a Universitie I think there ne’re was any; In which you may a scholar be For spending a penny.

Coffeehouses and the Enlightenment Coffeehouses helped spread the ideas and values of the Enlightenment. They provided a new public space where urban Europeans could learn about and debate the issues of the day. Open to all social classes, they were a rare equalizing force in highly unequal societies. Within a few years, each political party, philosophical sect, scientific society, and literary circle had its own coffeehouse, which served as a gathering point for its members and an informal recruiting site for new ones.

Coffeehouses and the development of modern business European coffeehouses also played a key role in the development of modern business, as their proprietors began to provide specialized business news to attract customers. Lloyd’s of London, the famous insurance house, got its start in the shipping lists published by coffeehouse owner Edward Lloyd in the 1690s. the streets around London’s stock exchange were crowded with coffeehouses where merchants and traders congregated to strike deals and hear the latest news. Lloyd’s Coffee House frontage

Coffeehouses succeeded in Europe because they met a need common to politics, business, and intellectual life: the spread and sharing of information. In the late 17 th century, newspapers were rare and expensive; there were no banks to guarantee credit; and politics was limited to a tiny elite. To break through these constraints, people needed reliable information. The coffeehouse was an ideal place to acquire it, along with a new kind of stimulant that provided the energy and attention to fuel a lively discussion.

Today, following the development of mass media, we do not have to go to a coffeehouse to get the latest news. However, it has been argued that, with the advent of the internet and social networking, the news industry is “returning to something closer to the coffeehouse.”

Do you see any continuities with the 18th century coffeehouse?

Sources A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage Coffee houses in London – Trades, industries, and institutions,” Port Cities: The Coffee Houses of Old London – Web Books Publishing: This presentation was based on the feature “ Living in the Past – Coffeehouse culture,” from A History of Western Society, 10th Edition (John McKay, et al.) Additional material came from: