18th Century Spanish Culture: Reason, Reforms, and Literature
The Eighteenth Century: The Enlightenment
The Century of Lights (Enlightenment) rejects everything that is imposed and only admits what is reached through reason. A group of thinkers appeared in Europe with a scientific spirit, adopting experimentation as the method for acquiring knowledge. This movement is known as the Illustration (Enlightenment).
To reach scientific truth, the enlightened thinkers began to doubt everything, questioning the validity of alternative methods of discovery. These ideas arrived in our country through the diffusion of French books and the appearance of translated newspapers where the enlightened thinkers exposed their findings.
The Situation in Spain
Political and Social Context
The century began with the reign of the Bourbons, who favored France, facilitating the penetration of the French Enlightenment. Reforms promoted by enlightened thinkers soon began. During the reign of Charles III, significant reforms were implemented.
Cultural Context
The cultural influence of the French Enlightenment reached the court through the monarchs, who became protectors of the arts and letters. This led to the establishment or strengthening of key institutions:
- The Royal Spanish Academy (R.A.E.), intended to ensure the purity of the language.
- The National Library.
- The Royal Academy of History.
- The Museum and the Botanical Garden.
Literature in the 18th Century: Neoclassicism
Writers preferred Greek and Latin models. Neoclassicism prioritized reason over feelings and imposed strict rules to which literary works had to adhere. There was an abandonment of opera productions, and the imaginative and fantastic elements were rejected.
Neoclassical literature is characterized by its didactic and moralistic nature.
The movement developed in three main stages:
- Reaction Against the Baroque (e.g., Francisco de Isla).
- Triumph of Neoclassicism (e.g., Leandro Fernández de Moratín, José Cadalso).
- Pre-Romanticism (e.g., Manuel José Quintana).
Neoclassical Poetry
Since expressing personal feelings was often considered inappropriate, poets adopted the pastoral setting and the fabulous theme (fables).
Fables: Félix María Samaniego
The influence of ancient France is evident in his moral fables, written for the students of the Vergara Seminary, which ridicule human failings.
Prose Neoclassicism: Reaction Against the Baroque
This reaction against the Baroque style took place through contact with French Neoclassicism.
Benito Jerónimo Feijoo
His work is primarily didactic. He aimed to educate the populace by criticizing superstitions and misconceptions. He sought to disseminate cultural novelties from Europe in Spain and recommended the study of the experimental sciences. He valued accuracy more than beauty.
Most representative works include: Teatro Crítico Universal and Erudite Letters.
Repeated Content: Fables and Feijoo
Fables (Félix María Samaniego): The influence of ancient France is noted in his moral fables, written for the students of the Vergara Seminary, in which he ridicules human defects.
Neoclassicism in Prose: Reactions Against the Baroque: This interplay takes place against the Baroque through contact with French Neoclassicism.
Feijoo (Continued): His work is fundamentally didactic. He proposed to teach the people, criticizing false superstitions. He attempted to disseminate cultural novelties of Europe in Spain. He recommended the study of experimental sciences. Precision is what matters most, more than beauty. Representative works: Teatro Crítico Universal, Erudite Letters.