The Enlightenment Period Age of Enlightenment/Reason 1660-1790

Renaissance vs. Enlightenment Similar world views Renaissance = human artistic Enlightenment = human intellectual Where the Renaissance focused on the new use of reason, science, technology, the Enlightenment period continued this and grew upon these foci

The Age of reason European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented Enlightenment thinkers in Britain, in France and throughout Europe questioned traditional authority embraced the notion that humanity could be improved through radical change. Radical change

The Progression & Influence The Enlightenment produced numerous: books, essays, inventions, scientific discoveries, laws, wars and revolutions. The Enlightenment ultimately gave way to 19th-century Romanticism. A Teacher and his student

Early Enlightenment John Locke: Renee Descartes: Isaac Newton: English philosopher, physician – published “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” Isaac Newton: English Physicist & Mathematician – published “Principia Mathematica Renee Descartes: French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, What commonalities do you see with these gentlemen besides great hair? Francis Bacon: English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, and author – Scientific Method

English Physicist & Mathematician – published “Principia Mathematica Early Enlightenment Human nature is changeable and knowledge is gained through accumulated experience rather than by accessing some sort of outside truth Isaac Newton: English Physicist & Mathematician – published “Principia Mathematica John Locke: English philosopher, physician – published “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” Calculus and optical theories provide powerful metaphors to help measure change and illumination

Deists would say that the universe takes credit for this High Enlightenment Belief that everything in the universe could be explained and categorized Religious (and anti-religious) innovation Christians sought to realign with their faith Deists argued that the universe seemed to determine its own course without God’s intervention Deists would say that the universe takes credit for this

Late Enlightenment French Revolution 1789: throw out old authorities to remake the society Unfortunately this led to a bloody terror that a decade later led to the rise of Napoleon

Late Enlightenment Feminist Mary Wollstonecraft English writer, philosopher & women’s rights advocate Wollstonecraft is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education.

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) Mary Wollstonecraft

Wollstonecraft’s Early Life Born in London 1759 1of 7 children Her father beat her mother Wollstonecraft would lie outside her mother’s bedroom as a teenager to protect her Wollstonecraft played a maternal role to her sisters

Wollstonecraft’s middle years Had two female friends in her life; both women played major roles in helping Wollstonecraft to develop her feminist attitude Wollstonecraft was extremely dissatisfied with the menial jobs that women could have; she started writing as a result. Wollstonecraft had an affair with an artist Henry Fuseli, but when Fuseli’s wife found out, she forbid the continuation of a relationship. Wollstonecraft as depicted in 1790

Wollstonecraft & Gilbert imlay & Depression Wollstonecraft moved to France After just writing Vindication (1792), she met Gilbert Imlay and fell in love She had a child, Franny with Imlay Imlay left Wollstonecraft after some time Wollstonecraft fell into depression and attempted suicide twice On the second attempt she was rescued from the Thames river, and she cursed the man who saved her Gilbert Imlay

William Godwin Later years Wollstonecraft returned to England, and rekindled with old friends She continued to write She met William Godwin – fell in love and got married Had one daughter (Mary) – died giving birth to her Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein Mary Shelley

The Vindication Background to Mary Wollstencraft’s work

One of his mistresses, and later his wife Occasion: 1792 Women were slowly gaining rights, and some men had major oppositions to this Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord wrote a report about the true role a woman should have Fun Fact: Talleyrand was known as a womanizer – he has at least 4 illegitimate children One of his mistresses, and later his wife

Talleyrand wrote: This guy When Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord presented his Rapport sur l'instruction publique [Report for Public Instruction](1791) to the National Assembly in France Talleyrand wrote: “Let us bring up women, not to aspire to advantages which the Constitution denies them, but to know and appreciate those which it guarantees them . . . Men are destined to live on the stage of the world. A public education suits them: it early places before their eyes all the scenes of life: only the proportions are different. The paternal home is better for the education of women; they have less need to learn to deal with the interests of others, than to accustom themselves to a calm and secluded life.” Thoughts?

Wollstonecraft's Response Wollstonecraft was roused to respond.

Audience: Who do you think she intended to have read this? Think about main audience Think about secondary audiences Think about time period

Audience Women: Why? Why do you think Wollstonecraft would want women to read this? Men: Why? Why do you think Wollstonecraft would want men to read this? Politicians: Why? Why do you think Wollstonecraft would want politicians to read this?

Subject What do you think she is talking about?

Subject Women’s rights – especially with regard to education

Discuss possibilities – we will read to find this answer Tone: What tone do you think she might take? Why do you think she will take this tone? Discuss possibilities – we will read to find this answer

Purpose Why do you think she is writing? Aside from obvious reasons of why she writing, think of other reasons she might be writing- Let’s read to find out…

Reading for: Structure: How does she structure her argument? Pay attention to: Diction Syntax Voice Language Figurative language Allusion Pronouns Conjunctions Shifts Structure: How does she structure her argument? Style: What voice, language, and writing style does she use? How might this impact her argument? Technique: What argumentative techniques does she use How might these techniques appeal to her audiences?