The Enlightenment Era: Society, Thought, and Transformations

The Enlightenment and Pre-Romanticism

The eighteenth century began under the influence of the Enlightenment, a rationalist movement that posed a critical review of ideas and values in force until then. It is also known as the Age of Reason.

Moreover, in the second half of the eighteenth century, pre-Romanticism began in some European countries. This movement, a reaction against rationalism, reached its peak in the nineteenth century.

18th Century Society & Culture

Eighteenth-century society underwent profound social and political transformations, culminating in two significant historical events: the independence of the United States of America and the French Revolution (1789).

In most European countries, absolute monarchs and ecclesiastical power held sway, even as Enlightenment thought began to influence nations like Spain, France, and Russia. An important change was the transition from absolute monarchies to parliamentary monarchies.

The Church opposed educational and economic reforms, leading to numerous conflicts between royal and religious power.

During the second half of the eighteenth century, intense social transformations occurred due to the growth of the bourgeoisie. Pressure from reformers led to significant social changes, including the creation of civil rights laws and fiscal reforms. In developed areas of England, the Industrial Revolution began, giving rise to the proletariat.

In the realm of ideas and culture, this century was characterized by the development of enlightened thinking, the most influential current of the Enlightenment.

Key Concepts of Enlightenment Thought

The philosophical origins of the Enlightenment divide into two main lines: rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism posits that the basis of knowledge is reason, while empiricism grounds knowledge in observation and experimentation, which can induce and verify physical laws.

The most common features of Enlightenment thought include: curiosity (reflected in all types of knowledge, particularly in encyclopedism), reformism and despotism in politics, social welfare concerns, confidence in reason or scientism, deism in religion, and cultural utilitarianism.

French Encyclopédism

The French Enlightenment sought to compile all the knowledge of the time into one accessible book: the Encyclopédie. Leading scholars of the era, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau, collaborated on this monumental work, led by Diderot and D'Alembert.

Political Reforms & Enlightened Despotism

In political thought, reformism and despotism prevailed.

Enlightened despotism justified a state ruled by an absolute monarch whose role was to provide for the welfare of his subjects, but without their direct participation. This philosophy, encapsulated by the phrase "Everything for the people, but without the people," argued that reforms could be imposed across all fields. However, some enlightened thinkers evolved toward more radical political positions, creating deep divisions among reformers, supporters of absolute monarchy, and revolutionary defenders.