The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

1818thth Century Intellectual Century Intellectual MovementMovement

In the 1600’s,…In the 1600’s,…

F Alchemy, Angelology, Demonology Alchemy, Angelology, Demonology F The Great Chain of BeingThe Great Chain of BeingF Divine Right of KingsDivine Right of Kings

It begins with a It begins with a rejection.rejection. Of dogmaOf dogma

Of superstitionOf superstitionOf traditional religionOf traditional religionOf factionalismOf factionalismOf (in some cases) monarchyOf (in some cases) monarchyOf disorderOf disorder

Renaissance Renaissance ReformationReformation Many countries become Many countries become ProtestantProtestant fifteen-hundred-year-old spiritual monopoly fifteen-hundred-year-old spiritual monopoly

of Catholicism.of Catholicism.

But that dreaded But that dreaded factionalism lead tofactionalism lead toreligious wars--religious wars-- England, Germany, and Holland

became Protestants allies. They fought repeatedly against

Catholic France, Spain, and Italy. Later, Protestant groups

turned on each other-

Intellectual MovementIntellectual Movement

During the 18th During the 18th century, certain century, certain thinkers and thinkers and writers, primarily in writers, primarily in London and Paris, London and Paris, believed that they believed that they were more were more enlightened than enlightened than their compatriots their compatriots and set out to and set out to enlighten them.enlighten them.

Voltaire

Locke Diderot

Rousseau

Enlightenment Enlightenment ThinkersThinkers These thinkers These thinkers

believed that believed that human reason human reason could be used to could be used to combat combat ignorance, ignorance, superstition, and superstition, and tyranny and to tyranny and to build a better build a better world. world.

Enlightenment TargetsEnlightenment Targets

Their principal Their principal targets were targets were religion (the religion (the Catholic Church Catholic Church in France) and in France) and the domination of the domination of society by a society by a hereditary hereditary aristocracy.aristocracy.

Background in Background in AntiquityAntiquity The application The application

of Aristotelian of Aristotelian logic by Thomas logic by Thomas Aquinas in the Aquinas in the 13th century set 13th century set the stage for the the stage for the Enlightenment. Enlightenment.

Used Logic to Defend Used Logic to Defend DogmaDogma

Aristotle’s logical Aristotle’s logical procedures were procedures were used to defend the used to defend the dogmas of dogmas of Christianity.Christianity.

Unfortunately for Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church, the tools of logic the tools of logic could not be could not be confined to Church confined to Church matters.matters.

The Renaissance The Renaissance HumanistsHumanists In the 14th and 15th In the 14th and 15th

centuries, "humanists“ centuries, "humanists“ celebrated the human celebrated the human race and its capacities.race and its capacities.

They argued they were They argued they were worshipping God more worshipping God more appropriately than the appropriately than the priests and monks who priests and monks who harped on original sin harped on original sin and asked people to and asked people to humble themselves.humble themselves.

Focused on Man’s Focused on Man’s CreativityCreativity

Some of them Some of them claimed that humans claimed that humans were like God, were like God, created not only in created not only in his image, but with a his image, but with a share of his creative share of his creative power. The painter, power. The painter, the architect, the the architect, the musician, and the musician, and the scholar, by exercising scholar, by exercising their intellectual their intellectual powers, were powers, were fulfilling divine fulfilling divine purposes.purposes.

Challenged Church Challenged Church AuthorityAuthority In the 16th century, In the 16th century,

various humanists various humanists had begun to ask had begun to ask dangerous questions. dangerous questions.

François Rabelais, a François Rabelais, a French monk and French monk and physician influenced physician influenced by Protestantism, by Protestantism, challenged the challenged the Church's authority,Church's authority, ridiculing many ridiculing many religious doctrines as religious doctrines as absurd.absurd.

The Scientific The Scientific RevolutionRevolution In 1632, Galileo In 1632, Galileo

Galilei used logic, Galilei used logic, reinforced with reinforced with observation, to observation, to argue for argue for Copernicus’ idea Copernicus’ idea that the earth that the earth rotates on its axis rotates on its axis around the sun. around the sun.

Church OppositionChurch Opposition

The Church The Church objected that the objected that the Bible clearly stated Bible clearly stated that the sun moved that the sun moved through the sky and through the sky and denounced Galileo's denounced Galileo's teachings, forcing teachings, forcing him to recant what him to recant what he had written and he had written and preventing him from preventing him from teaching further.teaching further.

The Advance of The Advance of ScienceScience However, the However, the

Church could not Church could not prevent the prevent the advance of science advance of science – although most of – although most of those advances those advances would take place would take place in Protestant in Protestant northern Europe northern Europe out of the reach of out of the reach of the pope and his the pope and his Inquisition.Inquisition.

Anti-DogmatismAnti-Dogmatism Michel de Montaigne Michel de Montaigne

asked a single asked a single question over and question over and over again in his over again in his Essays: Essays: "What do I "What do I know?" know?"

He realized that we He realized that we have no right to have no right to impose on others impose on others dogmas which rest dogmas which rest on cultural habit on cultural habit rather than absolute rather than absolute truth. truth.

Moral RelativismMoral Relativism

Influenced by Influenced by non-Christian non-Christian cultures in places cultures in places as far off as as far off as Brazil, Montaigne Brazil, Montaigne argued that argued that morals may be to morals may be to some degree some degree relative. relative.

Cannibalism v. Cannibalism v. PersecutionPersecution

Who are Europeans to Who are Europeans to insist that Brazilian insist that Brazilian cannibals, who merely cannibals, who merely consume dead human consume dead human flesh instead of flesh instead of wasting it, are morally wasting it, are morally inferior to Europeans inferior to Europeans who persecute and who persecute and oppress those of oppress those of whom they whom they disapprove? disapprove?

SkepticismSkepticism

René Descartes, in René Descartes, in the 17th century, the 17th century, attempted to use attempted to use reason to shore up reason to shore up his faith.his faith.

He tried to begin with He tried to begin with a blank slate, with a blank slate, with the bare minimum of the bare minimum of knowledge: the knowledge: the knowledge of his own knowledge of his own existence – "I think, existence – "I think, therefore I am."therefore I am."

The Enlightenment & The Enlightenment & the Classical Periodthe Classical Period In1691, Andreas Werckmeister, a In1691, Andreas Werckmeister, a

respected musician, wrote respected musician, wrote “[music was] a gift of God, to be “[music was] a gift of God, to be used only in His honor." used only in His honor."

Attitude of the time: religion was Attitude of the time: religion was at the center of society. This view at the center of society. This view was radically changed in the was radically changed in the Enlightenment. Enlightenment.

Perfect OrderPerfect Order

by using reason and logic, man could by using reason and logic, man could accomplish anything. accomplish anything.

Reflecting balance, composers strove Reflecting balance, composers strove to maintain a perfect order in music. to maintain a perfect order in music.

Music was written to the listener’s Music was written to the listener’s level to improve understanding. level to improve understanding.

For this reason, composers valued For this reason, composers valued simplicity over complexity.simplicity over complexity.

All humanity was one so same “rules” All humanity was one so same “rules” of composition.of composition.