The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason American Literature 1700-1820 The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason

Let’s Party Like It’s 1699! 18th century was a period of major change in American ideas and ideals… Prior to the 1700s, American life was centered around religion, particularly around the strict Puritan faith This era is known as the Enlightenment Era Neoclassicism Age of Reason

Reason v. Religion Enlightenment thinkers de-emphasized “grace” and “pre-destination” in favor of “moral choice” and scientific inquiry. “virtue,” “order,” “reason,” “sympathy” How do you think religious figures felt about this changing view of the universe and how people should function within it?

But What About Providence? Enlightenment brought a new, exciting way of seeing the universe… universe as an orderly system With application of reason, humanity would comprehend universe (think of Newton’s Laws). How might this change the way the common man felt about religion and God? (Hint: Not necessarily a rejection…)

“Benjamin Franklin Drawing Down Electricity from the Sky” (Benjamin West, ca. 1816)

“I Just Believe in Science, Okay!” “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan/The proper study of mankind is man.” (Alexander Pope) What does that mean?

Deism Many of these thinkers (including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin) called themselves “Deists.” Man can deduce the existence of a supreme being from the fact that the universe exists rather than because of what the Bible says.

What about Fire and Brimstone? Deists also thought that a harmonious universe proves the beneficence (or goodness) of God. How might that be?

Take Your Buckled Shoes and Shove ‘Em! Humankind is naturally good. (Whereas the Puritans of the 1600s believed that man was naturally sinful & wicked) “Tabula Rasa” John Locke theory that at birth the (human) mind is a "blank slate" without rules and that information is added and rules for how to live are formed solely by one's sensory experiences The more we understand and sympathize with each other, the richer our social and spiritual lives will be.

Neo-Classicism What would be the best way for writers in this era to articulate their views? What is the function of their writing and how might it differ from writing centered around religion and emotion? Are there similarities?

Rhetoric Reason Logic Socratic Method Today this term means “the art of speaking or writing effectively (especially persuasive speaking or writing).” In Franklin’s time the term meant the same thing, but more precisely it stood for “the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times.” Reason If one is “rational,” then he has the ability “to reason.” What does it mean to reason? Reasoning is a type of thinking used to seek a truth through cause and effect and through drawing conclusions. Logic A system of rules used to express reasoning Socratic Method A technique in which a debater does not argue directly but instead asks a series of questions, with the result that the opponent comes either to the desired knowledge by answering the questions or to a deeper awareness of the limits of his knowledge.

Order and Virtue We should organize our lives into an ordered sequence of reasoned and virtuous thoughts and behaviors Aim is “human perfection” What does this have to do with the Revolutionary period in America????