The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson
Containing His Articles, Observations, Thoughts, Meanderings,
and some would say Wisdom (and some would say not).
The
18th century –
a truly remarkable century in the history of mankind.
The 18th century (1700-1799) was a major turning point in human history. The world of 1800 was completely different than that of 1700. This difference impacted all areas of human activity; politics, religion, economics, government, human rights, science, technology, philosophy, the arts, etc... These impacts were felt by all; from kings, princes, aristocrats, to the common man, rich or poor and everything in-between. The world was truly turned up-side-down in the 18th century.
At the start of the 18th-century life was defined as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" as Thomas Hobbes described the natural state of mankind in his 1651 poem “Leviathan”. Most were born, lived, married someone from nearby, raised their children, and died in the same town or countryside. For a man, the trade or occupation of your father was your trade or occupation. For a woman, it was to marry and raise children. By the end of the 18th century, all of this had changed or was changing.
The 18th century saw a major change in the geopolitical structure of the world; the decline of the Spanish Empire, the rise of the British Empire, the independence of the American Colonies and the formation of the United States, and the changing fortunes of the French Empire as demonstrated in the maps of the world at the beginning and end of the 18th century as shown below . There were land and sea voyages of discovery to map all parts of the world and to gather knowledge from all parts of the world. By the end of the 18th century, the world as a whole was much more firmly known.
The religious foundation of everyday life also changed. At the start of the 18th-century people believed that the world was inhabited by spirits, both good (nine types of Angels) and evil (Devils and Demons, Witches and Warlocks, and others), and ghosts of people who had died. They also had a firm belief that God intervened in the everyday life of all people through acts of nature, chance events, and disease or injury. The primary focus of religion was on the base character of the human soul, the repentance and redemption of sins, and the hereafter of the blessings of Heaven or the curses of Hell. By the end of the 18th century, natural causes and forces of nature became accepted explanations for natural events, chance events, and diseases or injuries. Spirits, ghosts, and godly intervention had been replaced by the desire for the improvement of self and mankind through Christian deeds. They also began looking to God and the Bible for guidance on how to live a moral and ethical life rather than for fear and punishment for sins. And the fear of God was being transformed to the love of God.
It included the “Age of Enlightenment” an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century, and it was truly a Century of Philosophy. The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on reason as the primary source of knowledge and advanced ideals such as liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government and separation of church and state. In France, the central doctrines of the Enlightenment philosophers were individual liberty and religious tolerance, in opposition to an absolute monarchy and the fixed dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. The Enlightenment was marked by an emphasis on the scientific method and reductionism, along with increased questioning of religious orthodoxy—an attitude captured by the phrase Sapere Aude (Dare to know).
The Rise of Modern Capitalism and the free market economy accelerated in the 18th century. This resulted in the formation of a strong middle class, a middle class that helped redistribute the wealth from the upper to the lower classes with themselves becoming more affluent and sometimes wealthy. This helped improve the lot of the lower class and allowed the lower classes the opportunity to become middle class. Self-made men were rare at the start of the 18th century but became much more common by the end of the 18th century. This rise of modern capitalism saw the movement of many people to different locations as they pursued opportunities for success, as well as a personal choice in what trade or occupation they wished to pursue. This also lessened the political, social, and economic influence of the Aristocracy, which led to greater human rights for all.
“Science“ was transformed as well. Prior to the 18th century, Science was struggling to find a foundation and methodology. During the 18th century, it established this foundation and methodology. The Scientific Method and the utilization of Mathematics in Science became firmly established. Hundreds of scientific societies sprung up for the examination and growth of Science. Many of the affluent middle class supported or indulged in scientific pursuits. This started with the science and mathematics of Sir Isaac Newton at the end of the 17th century and became firmly entrenched in the 18th century. Many more people were able to pursue science and mathematics as a career and support themselves and their families by studying and teaching science and mathematics.
It also saw the rise of the “Industrial Revolution”, now also known as the First Industrial Revolution, which was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing, and iron production processes, the increasing use of waterpower then steam power, the development of machine tools and the rise of the mechanized factory system. The Industrial Revolution also led to an unprecedented rise in the rate of population growth.
As a result of the advancement of Science and the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century Science and Technology became a cornerstone of modern civilization.
The “Fine Arts” of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and poetry, with performing arts including theatre and dance were invented in the 18th century. One definition of fine art is "a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness”. Artists were no longer considered craftsmen but creators. The Fine Arts began with an aristocracy orientation at the beginning of the 18th century but transformed into a common man predilection in the late 18th century.
All of this occurred in the 18th century, a truly remarkable century as outlined in the Wikipedia article on the “18th Century”.
