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Unfinished Paper On The Social Context Of The Enlightenment

Additional essay topic
Question 7: the Enlightenment in its social context

Using the week 2 additional readings list and the list below as your starting-points, discuss the social contexts out of which Enlightenment argument emerged. How did these environments influence the philosophes' ideas about reasoned argument, debate and the ‘public sphere'?

We know in the late 1700's and early 1800's that the Age of Reason dawned upon the European civilizations. But from where did this idea of reason sprout? Where did the subject of reason and rationality come from? Why was it that these subjects were so embraced? The following essay will answer and analyse these questions by discussing the change in the understanding of the ‘the public' as we know it today and the role of coffee houses, salons and academic societies and their influences on philosophers.

Social environments such as coffee houses, libraries and salons were fundamental in the discourse of rational and critical thinking. These places allowed for conversation to take place without any formal incongruity and social distinction (to an extent), unlike churches and schools.
Some other social settings like public lectures, reader's societies, academic societies and other societies similar to that of the Freemasons where also very supportive to the development and spread of enlightenment, however some required memberships that imposed a fee and where cautiously controlled. This often meant that less prosperous individuals were not able to attend. These higher class social groups allowed for the ‘hot topics' to be discussed and criticised through "free and open examination". The carefully scrutinized memberships and fees allowed only the wealthier and higher paid academics to attend, and for that reason ( to their way of thinking) generated better viewpoints on the topics discussed and kept the ‘riff-raff'   out.
Fuelling the frequently emerging discourses relating to reason, rationality and critical...