Enlightenment The Age of Reason

Definition Also known as the Age of Reason, this is a period of history during which cultural and intellectual forces in Western Europe emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism over traditional seats of authority. Skepticism, tolerance, and science were the new focus of study.

Time Period Although hard to pinpoint, the most commonly accepted period in history ranges from the 1650s to the 1780s, though the effects last much longer and still can be seen today.

Influential Figures Francis Bacon - New Atlantis, The New Organon, The Great Instauration Rene Descartes - Discourse on Method Thomas Hobbes - The Leviathan Immanuel Kant - Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals

David Hume - Treatise of Human Nature John Locke - Treatise on Government Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Social Contract

Ideas Philosophers and other thinkers-scientists, mathematicians, doctors, etc.-began to question previously accepted figures of authority, claiming they misguided man. They attempted to dispel the seemingly mysterious hold religion held over man in order to explain, scientifically, factually, the reality of things.

3. No longer was man focused on the mysteries of the world as having divine origin. 4. Instead, they focused on science and having objective proof of things. 5. They focused on the idea of the scientific method and finding facts, not accepting faith as the epitome of man’s capabilities.

6. The time can be termed a period of the mechanization of man in which the beautiful no longer focuses on the arts and religion, but on the beauty of utility found in the mechanics of things that man can use-machines, physics, mathematics, medicine. 7. Concrete results were the aim, not blind faith

8. Even the poetry at this time was more scientific-less metrically beautiful and containing fewer elaborated images and figures of speech. 9. It reaches the areas of science, philosophy, politics, and religion. 10. Lasting results/effects.

“A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day” Written by the poet John Dryden in 1689: Dryden lived from 1631-1700 and was known for creating an argument within his poems in an attempt to prove something. He claims a professor taught him “to think naturally and to express forcibly” and to “join argument with poetry.”

2. A skeptic, Dryden could write from any standpoint and do so convincingly. He used this method to discuss his own political and religious views.

The Poem Purpose is to use music as a metaphor for the creation of everything. Music giving life to everything Man as the completion II. Progression of musical sound from that of military to love and then despair Follows the life of man

III. Idea that, through music, one man could lead his fellow men and even nature itself Man as controlling and able to manipulate nature to his own use Music not only brought creation into being but will be creation’s destruction

What does all this mean? Dryden uses a tone of satire to create a poem in which he pokes fun at man’s emphasis on beauty-he uses the example of music-and then, in the end of the poem, illustrates how it can be used to manipulate which, ultimately, will lead to destruction.

Poetically? Not always as interesting. Basic end rhyme. More direct, meaning there is less stretch of the imagination and more one-to-one correlation. What is said is meant literally.

Pre Enlightenment discoveries Johannes Kepler proved that the universe was heliocentric. Galileo created his own telescope, supporting Kepler through his own observations.

These discoveries moved against the age old views of esteemed scholars such as Aristotle, and made people sceptical of the knowledge that had been handed down to them from the past.

The Scientific Method Descartes writes the Discourse on Method. This gives mankind a framework with which to conduct one's thoughts toward finding scientific truths. This text becomes important to the evolution of the natural sciences. Starts his line of reasoning by doubting everything

II. Descartes’ Method Begin by doubting everything about a subject Find one thing we do not need to prove about the subject Build off of that one thing to find out other things about the subject.

III. “Meditations on First Philosophy” Everything could potentially not exist B. “Cogito ergo sum” “I think therefore I am” C. I sense, I imagine D. My knowledge comes from something other than my senses and my imagination. i The wax illustration

Natural Philosophy Definition: The study of the world, What we would now call “science.” Descartes’ method focuses on Causes. One truth leads to others. III. Natural philosophers of the Enlightenment began to focus on observation, experimentation, and mathematical proofs.

Sir Isaac Newton 1642-1727 I. Generally regarded as one of the greatest “scientists” who ever lived. II. He was very careful not to publish anything not firmly supported by experimental proofs or geometrical demonstrations. III. He exemplified and ushered in the Age of Reason.

IV. Newton is thought of as a materialist scientist, but was astounded by his discoveries. He was amazed that gravity was inherent in matter. “action at a distance” was inconceivable.

C. This theory explains that there is an underlying mathematical structure underlying all of reality. D. This introduces a new mechanistic view of the universe. i The universe is seen as a machine

IV. Newton’s Method Focused on Experimentation and observation, rather than causal relations B. Experimental proofs can be replicated, causal proofs are not always visual

V. Newton’s Prism Newton proved that white light contained all of the colors of the rainbow.

B. Process Ran light through a prism, breaking it up into a rainbow. covered all but the red part of the rainbow. Shined the red light through a second prism. The second prism did not break the red light up into more colors, therefore, the prism was not adding to the light, but sorting it.