The Enlightenment

The Role of Satire

A Brief Intro to the Enlightenment As Immanuel Kant said “Do we live in an

Enlightened Age? NO! We live in an age of enlightenment

This was a time of Optimism but it existed with the realization that human existed in a sad state and major change was needed.

It was an age that focused on progress – freedom, human rights, justice and equality

Scientists, philosophers and social thinkers believed that the human condition could be improved through the implementation of logic

We could become masters of the universe!

What was the Enlightenment It was a time when people challenged

the political and social structures of the day.

It was a time when scientists were developing natural laws about the world and the creatures within it.

It was a time when social thinkers developed secular ideologies with the goal of transforming society.

It was a time when traditions were challenged

It was a time when people thought about what could be rather than what is.

It was the AGE OF REASON It was a time that was full of great

ideas but little action

The Rise of Satire Satire:

Literary Comedy the points out inconsistenciesUsually a criticism of society and its institutionsBased in Morality and Rational Thought

You have all seen satire! Satire becomes the language of the

enlightenment It is entertaining, understandable to the

common man, not directly offensive to those in power, and makes important and intelligent points about various topics

Jonathan Swift1667-1745 Attacked English society

and government Believed humans were

too uncaring and selfish Focused on exposing

the horrors of England’s policies towards Ireland

His two most famous works are A Modest Proposal and Gulliver’s Travels

Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)1694 - 1778 The Greatest of all the

Enlightened Philosophes and a hero of his time

Attacked everything from social customs and history to literature and politics

Was opposed to fast change and excessive optimism

He wanted gradual reform – feared democracy as anarchy and absolutism as tyranny

He believed in Constitutional Monarchy

Wrote the masterpiece “Candide”

Summary The Enlightenment is an Age where people

wrote about applying logic to the human condition to improve it

People thought that logic was a path to paradise

The Enlightenment was a lot of talk but little action

Satire was the common language of the Philosophes

Great writers such as Swift and Voltaire questioned society in a way that was both entertaining and intellectual