This is the 5th lecture of [[Stephen Hicks]]'s [[PA Philosophy of Education]] course on [[Peterson Academy]]. ## Introduction This lecture is about anti-enlightenment voices and movement built upon Rousseau's work. The Renaissance saw the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason problematic and reintroduced a feeling-based epistemology into man's purview, which found its greatest expressions in music and fine arts. ## Background to the Renaissance The background going into the romantic period was an age thoroughly influenced by enlightenment ideals. 1778 marks an important year for this development. During this time, John Lock and Voltaire's philosophical work has already been bearing fruit on the entirety of Europe. Newton's Principia Mathematica have given people a way to mathematically interpret the world. New technologies including James Watt’s steam engine have revolutionized people's lives. This is also a period endowned with understanding of modern economics with the introduction of Adam Smith's work. Around the same time, in 1776 the United States had their declaration of independence. The enlightenment was massively successful in seeing ideas about the world and human life transformed, along with the institutions that govern and support them. Women and slaves were also granted liberties. This was an era sufficiently represented by the Bacon's saying “knowledge is power,” and in turn ignorance and superstitions are outlawed. ## Rousseau 1778 marks an important year of transition into the Renaissance as it is the year that marks the death of Rousseau—dubbed the father of the Renaissance. His was known for his contest-winning essay in 1750 “Discourses on the Sciences and Arts” that argued against the good of the Enlightenment, and a later impactful work *On Education* or *Emile* in the 1760s. ## Fault of the Enligtenment Where did the Enlightenment go wrong? It relies on reason… BUT - Technology is weakening the human being, as it undermined physicality. - Achievement in agriculture. We get more food. But we get fat. Abundance in turn brings about a decline in our condition. - The widening of wealth gaps. A divided society. Discrimination from the top. Envy from the bottom. - Artistic refinement as tool for social separation. A further widening of inequality of status. Aesthetics standards are applied. - Complications of love and sex in the modern world in contrast to the simplicity of love and sex in the natural state. - Rise of individualism, putting myself over others being morally dangerous. Less care in the group. Rousseau's Conclusion: Enlightenment is a disaster. What we need is a different kind of modernity. Notes: Much of this is summarized as man moving away from the design of God — the natural state. There is this affirmation of the goodness of God's creation, that the enlightenment is actively defying. ## On Religion, Against Reason Rousseau saw the rise of agnostics and atheists as a problem. While it did correct some of the faults of a centralized, potentially dogmatic church, it is throwing the baby out with the bathwater by throwing out religion. New forms of religion is needed. In his work *EmileI*, Emile meets Vickr who is speculated to best represent Rousseau’s own religious views. He makes the epistemological point that he shall not refuse knowledge that his heart cannot refuse. He believes the world is governed by a powerful and wise will. He sees, or senses it. In doing so, he is maintaining that religion is indeed not adequately accounted for by reason, it is still vastly important. Religion doesn’t work like other endeavors of knowledge where one starts humble and examine all propositions to ascend into one position over the other. Religion is felt. Vickr remains humble before God. Reason comes after feeling, passion, and sensation when it comes to reasoning about the nature of God. From here birth romanticism that elevates emotions and intuitions, thereby challenges the enlightenment narrative. ## Responses to Rousseau Friedrich Schleiermacher's “The Christian Faith” popularly formulates that “the essence of faith is the feeling of absolute dependence,” repudiating reason for theology of feeling. Kierkegaard follows this tradition. He is overwhelmed with fear and confusion when he confronts the world. Kierkegaard thinks reason alone leads to atheism. Significance is reasoned through, it is felt. Thus, we ought to crucify reason. Absurdity is part and parcel of Christianity. In other words, a reasonable God is not God at all, according to the Christian tradition. There are some that agreed in the failure of romanticism, but rejected religion as that where salvation, and instead turned to art. We can trace this movement in the history of Arts. Romantic art pieces portray life as adventurous, full of passion, suffering, a spectrum of emotions. Life itself is colorful and exciting. Notably: - David Friedrich “Sea of Ice” fantastical exploration of nature. The ship in the painting expresses life in its full tragic but exploratory, romantic sense. - “Wild Horse Felled by a Tiger” life full of passion and danger; prey vs predator - “The Duel After the Masquerade” excitement of fighting and potentially dying over a lover. - “Medieval Town by Water” romanticizing the exciting past (the medieval world). ## Against the Enlightment The general sentiment of the Renaissance is that: If the goal of life is to dissect it and understand it, it makes life meaningless and boring. Therefore, romantics reject it altogether. They say no to mechanizing the world. Romantics hold a lot of dualistic comparisons in relation the Enlightenment: passion vs cold precision; free vs rigid; material vs spiritual; spontaneous vs routine. John Keats romantic poet who died young (romantic death): cold philosophy kills all fun. Wordsworth: we are laying waste to our power “we are out of tune.” We are losing the ability to experience of the mystery of the world. He was against books. Wisdom is in nature, not in books. The romantic ideal is one of action and passion. Life is supposed to be an adventure, and be open to the exotic. Some saw romanticism as exclusive from enlightenment, some saw it as an extension. More saw the dualistic scheme. Dumas and Hugo saw that the romantic ideal is built on top of a rational enlightenment grounding. Notable works: - Victor Hugo “Hunchback of Notre Dame” French romantic. - David Friedrich “Wanderer above the sea of fog.” Raising human beings to the highest heights and integrating it to the best of the modern world. Humans are elevated, and nature is sublime. - “Pgymalion and Galatea” creating the perfect world. ## Romantic Education Romanticism generally means education has to be tailored somewhat. Authenticity and creativity is emphasized. Humanities, especially Literature, would take priority. Schooling increasingly takes places in nature—“deschooling.” ## Nature vs Nurture Is education nature, or is it nurtured? Hick proposes that there is a third path: agency—one is made by the choices he or she makes. Aristotle and Locke - Nurture + Agency Plato - Nature; Plato tripartite soul theory - rational, appetite, spirited --- Previous Lecture: [[Through the Scientific Revolution]] Next Lecture: [[Strict German Reforms]]