📚Intro to Comparative Literature Unit 5 – Enlightenment & Romanticism: Key Movements

Historical Context

• Enlightenment emerged in the late 17th and 18th centuries, primarily in Europe and North America
• Followed the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Reason, which emphasized rationality and empiricism
• Influenced by the rise of the middle class and increased literacy rates
• Coincided with the American and French Revolutions, which were inspired by Enlightenment ideals
• Challenged traditional authority, including the monarchy and the Church
• Emphasized individual liberty, progress, and the power of reason to improve society
• Laid the foundation for modern concepts of democracy, human rights, and the separation of church and state

Key Enlightenment Ideas

• Reason as the primary source of knowledge and legitimacy
• Empiricism, the belief that knowledge comes from sensory experience and evidence
• Progress, the idea that society and human understanding can continually improve
• Individualism, emphasizing the importance and rights of the individual
• Tolerance, promoting religious and cultural diversity
• Natural rights, the belief that all individuals have inherent rights (life, liberty, property)
• Social contract theory, the idea that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed
• Separation of powers, dividing government into distinct branches to prevent abuse of power

Major Enlightenment Thinkers

• John Locke, an English philosopher who developed the concept of natural rights and the social contract theory
  • Argued that all individuals have the right to life, liberty, and property
  • Believed that government should protect these rights and derive its authority from the consent of the governed
• Voltaire, a French writer and philosopher who advocated for freedom of speech, religion, and separation of church and state
• Montesquieu, a French political philosopher who developed the idea of the separation of powers
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Genevan philosopher who contributed to the development of the social contract theory
  • Argued that the general will of the people should be the basis for political authority
• Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who emphasized the importance of reason and moral autonomy
• Denis Diderot, a French philosopher and editor of the Encyclopédie, which aimed to collect and disseminate Enlightenment ideas
• Adam Smith, a Scottish economist who developed the concept of the invisible hand and the benefits of free-market capitalism

Romantic Movement Basics

• Emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a reaction against the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and order
• Originated in Europe, particularly in England and Germany, and later spread to other parts of the world
• Emphasized emotion, imagination, and individualism over reason and rationality
• Celebrated nature, the beauty of the natural world, and the power of the human spirit
• Valued creativity, originality, and artistic expression
• Focused on the individual's inner world, feelings, and experiences
• Sought to evoke strong emotions in the audience through art, literature, and music
• Influenced various art forms, including poetry, prose, painting, and music

Romantic Literature Themes

• Nature and the sublime, celebrating the beauty and power of the natural world
  • Often depicted nature as a source of inspiration, solace, and spiritual connection
• Emotion and passion, emphasizing the importance of feelings and inner experiences
• Individualism and self-expression, valuing the unique perspectives and creativity of the individual
• Imagination and the supernatural, exploring the realm of dreams, visions, and the otherworldly
• Exoticism and the past, drawing inspiration from distant lands, cultures, and historical periods
• Revolution and social change, reflecting the political and social upheavals of the time
• The hero and the outsider, celebrating the rebellious and unconventional individual who challenges societal norms
• The power of art and the artist, elevating the role of the creative individual in society

Famous Romantic Authors

• William Wordsworth, an English poet known for his lyrical poetry celebrating nature and the human spirit
  • Famous works include "Tintern Abbey" and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English poet and philosopher known for his imaginative and supernatural-themed poetry
  • Famous works include "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan"
• John Keats, an English poet known for his sensuous and emotive poetry
  • Famous works include "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
• Lord Byron, an English poet and leading figure of the Romantic movement, known for his flamboyant lifestyle and poetry
  • Famous works include "Don Juan" and "She Walks in Beauty"
• Percy Bysshe Shelley, an English poet and radical thinker, known for his visionary and politically charged poetry
  • Famous works include "Ozymandias" and "Prometheus Unbound"
• Mary Shelley, an English novelist best known for her Gothic novel "Frankenstein"
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer and statesman, known for his poetry, novels, and plays
  • Famous works include "Faust" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther"

Comparing Enlightenment and Romanticism

• Enlightenment emphasized reason, while Romanticism valued emotion and imagination
• Enlightenment focused on universal truths and progress, while Romanticism celebrated individuality and subjectivity
• Enlightenment sought to understand the world through science and rationality, while Romanticism explored the world through art and intuition
• Enlightenment promoted social and political reform, while Romanticism often retreated into nature and the inner world
• Enlightenment favored clarity and order in art and literature, while Romanticism embraced complexity and ambiguity
• Enlightenment thinkers believed in the power of education to improve society, while Romantics emphasized the transformative power of art and the imagination
• Despite their differences, both movements shared a belief in the importance of individual freedom and the potential for human progress

Legacy and Modern Influence

• Enlightenment ideas laid the foundation for modern democracy, human rights, and the scientific method
  • Influenced the American and French Revolutions and the development of modern political systems
• Romantic ideas continue to shape our understanding of art, creativity, and the role of the individual in society
  • Influenced the development of modern art movements (Impressionism, Expressionism)
• The tension between reason and emotion, central to the Enlightenment-Romantic debate, remains a fundamental question in modern thought
• Enlightenment emphasis on progress and rationality has influenced modern technological and scientific advancements
• Romantic celebration of nature has contributed to modern environmentalism and conservation efforts
• The Romantic idea of the artist as a visionary and agent of social change continues to shape our understanding of the role of art in society
• Modern psychology and the study of the human mind have been influenced by Romantic ideas about the importance of emotion, imagination, and the unconscious
• The legacy of both movements can be seen in ongoing debates about the role of reason and emotion in human understanding and decision-making