Eighteenth-Century European Thought: Rationalism and Enlightenment

Eighteenth-Century European Thought

Illustration and Rationalism

Illustration: Renewal in the field of thought based on the philosophy of rationalism.

Basic Ideas:

• Rationalism, where reason prevails.
• Utilitarianism, in which happiness is based on utilitarian criteria.
• Social progress, where progress of science occurs.
• Secularization of culture and dominance of laicism.

Impact of the Enlightenment

• Politics: Two trends emerged: enlightened despotism (all for the people but without the people) and the revolutionary trend (based on the English Revolution).
• Economy: Economic liberalism emerged in England, championed by Locke and Hume.
• Culture: Freedom of expression arose in France through Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau.

Eighteenth Century in Spain

Introduction of enlightened ideas:

• Rise to the throne of Philip V.
• Opening to European culture (internationalism).
• Enlightened absolutism during the period of maturity under Carlos III.
• Policy reforms and cultural initiatives, including the creation of institutions to spread enlightened ideas, such as the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy, 1713).

Romanticism (First Half of the Nineteenth Century)

Romanticism was a political and cultural movement that began in the first half of the nineteenth century in Europe and America. It implied a new way of understanding the world and reality, where reason, so celebrated in the eighteenth century, no longer occupied a prominent place. The human being is not just reason; they also possess feelings, ideals, fantasies, dreams, etc., which the romantic sought to express with absolute freedom.

Characteristics of Romanticism

• Prevalence of feelings (subjective art).
• Evasion of the surrounding world: interest in history, a taste for the medieval, other places, exotic and distant countries, the unconscious, dreams, fantasy, and mystery.
• Exaltation of the popular and regional levels: a rational search for identity (literature in other languages of the State).
• Pessimistic view of the world.

Romantic Themes

Romantic literature presents a wide variety of topics, but several lines and motifs can be recognized:

• Tendency to express intimacy. The poet shows their excited or gloomy feelings, often with a pessimistic tone.
• Exaltation of freedom. The confrontation with society leads to a feeling of rebellion against institutions and values.
• The writer's mood is reflected in the landscape and scenery of the works.
• Nationalism. Seeking themes and motifs in the national past to find the roots of the people.

Romanticism in Spain

Culturally and politically, the first third of the nineteenth century was marked by the absolutist regime of Ferdinand VII and the persecution of defenders of liberalism. Many intellectuals were exiled to several European countries, where Romanticism dominated at that time, fitting perfectly with their desire for renewal. Between 1835 and 1845, when these exiles returned to Spain, the Romantic movement experienced a final explosion.