The Age of Reason: Core Ideas and Spanish Influence

The Enlightenment: Core Ideas and Global Diffusion

Description: The Enlightenment was a new school of thought characterized by the use of reason for understanding natural and social reality. It emerged in England and the Dutch Republic, with France becoming the central diffuser of this philosophy, which subsequently spread throughout Europe and America.

Enlightenment thought lacked a systematic theory. Its ideas were derived from the sum of contributions from various influential authors, including Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire.

Key Characteristics of Enlightenment Thought

• The predominance of reason as the instrument for obtaining truth, in relation to other forms of knowledge (e.g., revelation and tradition). This led to the use of criticism to denounce everything opposed to rational thought.

• The defense of the autonomy of political power (monarchy), which had to control, especially, religious power.

• The concept of religious tolerance as a manifestation of human freedom and plurality.

• The interest in productive activities and improving the living conditions of people, viewed as a means to achieve happiness.

• Understanding the importance of education. (The educational process should be led by the state.)

Enlightenment thought opposed privileges and legal inequalities but admitted economic inequalities and the existence of an aristocracy of merit.

The Spanish Enlightenment Movement

The Spanish movement has its roots in the late seventeenth century with the movement of the Novatores (a group of scientists, physicians, and humanists who were concerned about Spanish scientific backwardness and the dominance of scholasticism in universities).

Early Institutional Achievements

• Creation of the National Library

• The Royal Academy of History

• And similar institutions

Under the reign of Charles III, the broader Spanish enlightened generation emerged. Most of them applied their intellectual efforts to public policy. People such as Count de Aranda, Floridablanca, Campomanes, and Jovellanos gave considerable impetus to Bourbon reformism.

Spanish Enlightenment thinking could not diffuse effectively through the universities, which were dominated by scholasticism. Therefore, it became necessary to create new institutions, including the academies and the Economic Societies of Friends of the Country (SEAP). The creation of schools allowed for the formation of enlightened intellectuals and scientists; technical training centers were encouraged, and military and scientific expeditions were promoted.

Economic Societies of Friends of the Country (SEAP)

The SEAP was one of the most original achievements of the Spanish Enlightenment. These groups formed enlightened societies aimed at developing the economy of their provinces and promoting the technical education of artisans and peasants.