Odyssey of the West. : V, Enlightenment, revolution and renewal a classic education through great books PDF
Preview Odyssey of the West. : V, Enlightenment, revolution and renewal a classic education through great books
O DYSSEY OF W V THE EST A Classic Education through the Great Books ENLIGHTENMENT, REVOLUTION, AND RENEWAL COURSE GUIDE Professor Timothy B. Shutt, KENYONCOLLEGE,Series Editor Featuring Professors Fred E. Baumann, Joel F. Richeimer, and Donald M.G. Sutherland Odyssey of the West V A Classic Education through the Great Books Enlightenment, Revolution, and Renewal Professor Timothy B. Shutt Kenyon College Series Editor Featuring Professors Fred E. Baumann, Joel F. Richeimer, and Donald M.G. Sutherland RecordedBooks™isatrademarkof RecordedBooks,LLC.Allrightsreserved. OdysseyoftheWestV: AClassicEducationthroughtheGreatBooks: Enlightenment,Revolution,andRenewal ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt,serieseditor FeaturingProfessorsFredE.Baumann,JoelF.Richeimer, andDonaldM.G.Sutherland (cid:1) ExecutiveProducer JohnJ.Alexander ExecutiveEditor DonnaF.Carnahan RECORDING Producer-DavidMarkowitz Director-MatthewCavnar COURSEGUIDE Editor-JamesGallagher Design-EdwardWhite Lecturecontent©2008byTimothyB.Shutt, ©2008byFredE.Baumann,©2008byJoelF.Richeimer, and©2008byDonaldM.G.Sutherland Courseguide©2008byRecordedBooks,LLC 7 2008byRecordedBooks,LLC Coverimage:Mapofancientworld©PhotoDisc; WomanReadingbyMarieLumiere©shutterstock.com #UT112 ISBN:978-1-4281-7631-7 Allbeliefsandopinionsexpressedinthisaudio/videoprogramandaccompanyingcourseguide arethoseoftheauthorandnotofRecordedBooks,LLC,oritsemployees. CourseSyllabus OdysseyoftheWestV: AClassicEducationthroughtheGreatBooks: Enlightenment,Revolution,andRenewal AboutYourProfessors.................................................................................................4 Introduction...................................................................................................................5 Lecture1 LouisXIV...............................................................................................6 ProfessorDonaldM.G.Sutherland Lecture2 Voltaire.................................................................................................10 ProfessorDonaldM.G.Sutherland Lecture3 DavidHume.........................................................................................14 ProfessorJoelF.Richeimer Lecture4 ImmanuelKant.....................................................................................22 ProfessorJoelF.Richeimer Lecture5 Jean-JacquesRousseau.....................................................................30 ProfessorFredE.Baumann Lecture6 AdamSmith.........................................................................................34 ProfessorFredE.Baumann Lecture7 TheFederalistPapers.........................................................................38 ProfessorFredE.Baumann Lecture8 TheFrenchRevolutionandEmpire.....................................................42 ProfessorDonaldM.G.Sutherland Lecture9 RomanticismandRomanticArt...........................................................48 ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt Lecture10 RomanticismandLiterature.................................................................52 ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt Lecture11 GeorgWilhelmFriedrichHegel...........................................................57 ProfessorJoelF.Richeimer Lecture12 KarlMarx.............................................................................................65 ProfessorFredE.Baumann Lecture13 DarwinandtheTheoryofEvolution....................................................69 ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt Lecture14 TheNineteenth-CenturyNovel............................................................74 ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt CourseMaterials........................................................................................................80 3 About Your Professors TIMOTHYB.SHUTThastaughtformorethantwenty yearsatKenyonCollege,famedforsplendidteaching, literarytradition,andunwaveringcommitmenttothe liberalarts.NoteacheratKenyonhaseverbeenmore Shutt oftenhonored,bothbythecollegeandbystudents,for B. mothy exceptionalskillsintheclassroomandasalecturer. Ti ProfessorShuttisthedirectorofKenyon’sinterdiscipli- of Photocourtesy ncaoanurdyrshIenestelehgcartavutereedaslPwornaoygHsroabmmeeeirnn,hPHeluaamtvoia,lynAeorivsSettorustdlueibe,ssthc.erHibBiseidb,le, theGreekhistorians,Virgil,andDanteeveryyearto apackedhouse. FREDE.BAUMANNistheHarryM.ClorProfessorof PoliticalScienceatKenyonCollege.Heteaches coursesinthehistoryofpoliticalphilosophy,politics andliterature,diplomatichistory,andstatesmanship. Baumann BaumannistheauthorofFraternityandPolitics: E. ChoosingOne’sBrothers,andanassociateeditorof Fred thejournalInterpretation.Baumannreceivedthe of Photocourtesy SinevnitieodrFtoagcuivletytTheruFstoeuenTdeeraschDinagytAawlka.rdandwas JOELF.RICHEIMERisanassociateprofessorofphi- losophyatKenyonCollege.HeearnedhisPh.D.from theUniversityofMichigan,AnnArbor,andhaspub- lishedandpresentedphilosophicalarticlesintheareas Richeimer ofperception,law,Aristotle,andscience. F. Joel of courtesy Photo DONALDM.G.SUTHERLANDisaprofessorof historyattheUniversityofMarylandinCollegePark, Sutherland MHiasrtyolraynodf.PHoispufilrasrtCboooukn,teTrhreevColhuotiuoannisn:UApSpoecriBalrittany, G. 1780–1795(1982),receivedhonorablementionfrom M. ofDonald tthheeCKoarneandiParnizHeisatwoarircdaeldAsbsyotchieatSioonc.iHeteyafolsroFsrehnacrehd Photocourtesy HHfeielslothowarsischarieplcsSe,tuisvdueicedhsaafonsrutthmheebeGbrueogsftgoeatnrhthiecerleimaiwnFaaerdlglsoivwaesnnhdiypear. for2001–2002. 4 Introduction TheOdysseyoftheWestseriescontinuesitsgrandexplorationofthelitera- ture,revolutionarytheories,andfeatsofintellectualprogressthathave shaped—andcontinuetoshape—themodernworld.InEnlightenment, Revolution,andRenewal,ProfessorTimothyB.ShuttofKenyonCollegeis joinedbyProfessorsFredE.Baumann(KenyonCollege),JoelF.Richeimer (KenyonCollege),andDonaldM.G.Sutherland(UniversityofMaryland)fora remarkabledistillationofhumandevelopmentintheeighteenthandnine- teenthcenturies.Indeed,thepaceofchangeintheWestduringthistime periodseeminglyincreasesascountlessnewpressures—amongthemsocial andculturaltransformationwroughtbythescientificrevolutionandtheemer- genceofnewkindsofindustry—begintoexerttheirinfluence. ThisinstallmentoftheOdysseyoftheWestseriesoffersconcise,pertinent summationsofsuchnotableandfascinatinghistoricalfiguresasLouisXIV,a manwhoinmanywayswastheapotheosisofanabsolutemonarch;Voltaire, awriteratthecenterofsomeofthemostimportantissuesofpublicpolicyin theeighteenthcentury;DavidHume,theeminenteighteenth-centuryScottish philosopherandeconomistwhowasalsoaprofessionalhistorian;and CharlesDarwin,thelegendaryscientistwhosetheoryofevolutionchanged thewaypeopleunderstoodthedevelopmentoflifeonEarth.Inadditionto thesegreatthinkers,thiscourseintroducesImmanuelKant,Jean-Jacques Rousseau,AdamSmith,GeorgWilhelmFriedrichHegel,andKarlMarx. Ultimately—inweavingtogetherthevariedandinterrelatedstrandsofeigh- teenth-andnineteenth-centurydiscourseandevents—thiscoursefocuseson thecontributionstoWesternhistorythatbearthemostresponsibilityforshap- ingtheworldoftoday.Amongthesecontributionsaresuchvital,yetmarkedly differentdocumentsastheFederalistPapersandtheCommunistManifesto. Newstylesofartandliteraturearealsogivenastunningtreatment,asthe professorsdelveintodiscussionsonRomantictrendsinbothartandlitera- ture.Butperhapsmostimportantofallisthesinglemostinfluentialeventin thelastfivehundredyears—thescientificrevolution—whichservesasthe engineofprogressdrivingmuchofthesocial,political,andculturalchange seeninthisdramaticperiod. 5 Lecture1: LouisXIV (ProfessorDonaldM.G.Sutherland) TheSuggestedReadingforthislectureisWilliamBeik’sLouisXIVand Absolutism:ABriefStudywithDocuments. LouisXIVistheapotheosisofanabsolute monarch.Inmanyrespects,however,hewas atraditionalking,enormouslyconsciousof thelineofFrenchkingsthatstretchedback morethanamillennium,determinedtopre- servehiskingdomandextendhisglory.At thesametime,whenhediedin1715,heleft behindatroubledkingdom,onethatwasanx- iousthatthekingmighthavegonetoofar, thathiswarsweretoomanyandtooexpen- sive,andthatthemeanshehadusedtopro- motethesewarshadupendedtheancient prerogativesofthevariousgoverningbodies oftherealm.Theseanxietieswerebasedon standardsthatmeasuredwisekingshipfroma conservativepointofview,butwithinagener- ationofhisdeaththeseideaswerelayingthe basisforideasofaconstitutionandthe claimsofindividualconscience. OREL C © ThepowersofFrenchkingsandmanyof LouisXIV theirEuropeancounterpartsderivedfrom (1638–1715) theirauthorityasdispensersofjustice.They byHyacintheRigaud,1701 werealsoconceivedofasrepresentativesof GodonEarth,andsinceGodwasthesourceofjustice,royaljusticereflected divine.Thatiswhytherecouldbenothoughtofrebellingagainsttheking. Rebellionwasasin.Alltherisingsoftheseventeenthcenturyaccordingly beganaspetitiondrivestoseekredressfromtheking.Theyalwaysexempt- edthekingfromblameforhightaxesorreligiouspersecution. Frenchkingswere“absolute”inthattheyhadfinalauthority.Theywereby nomeanstyrants.Theircoronationoathandcustomalikeboundthemto respecttheSalicLaw(thatkingshadtodescendfromthemaleline);toextir- pateheresy;torespectthehereditaryprivilegesoftheclergyandnobilityand therightsofprovincesandtowns. Therightsandprivilegesofthethreeorders—clergy,nobility,andeveryone E else—wereregardedascompensationforservicestothekingdom.These N O includedexemptions,especiallytaxexemption,monopolies,andsoon.The E clergy,forinstance,wastaxexemptdowntotheendoftheOldRegime,had R U itsowncourts,collectedthetithe,andhadprecedenceovertheotherorders. T C E WhileLouisXIVcertainlyrespectedhisheritage,hewasdeterminedto L 6 asserttheprimacyofthemonarchy.Heclaimedinthememoirshewroteas ayoungmanthatgloryoughttobethegoalofanyworthyking.Inaddition, rebellionsintheearlypartofhisreignmarkedhispoliticaloutlookpermanent- ly.Inparticular,the“Fronde”(1648–52),anurbanandaristocraticrebellion againstthefiscalsacrificesthemonarchydemandedduringtheThirtyYears War,madetheyoungkingdeeplysuspiciousofParisandofthehighnobility. Theking’ssolutionwastoenhancehisownpositionatthecenterofthe polity.ThegreatsymbolofthispolicywastheconstructionofthePalace ofVersailles.Thepalacewaslocatedinaforestedareawheretheking couldindulgeinhunting,agreatpassionofhis,yetitlaywithinthebound- ariesofthecityofParis.Thecourtmovedtothenewpalacein1682.Its architecturewasdesignedtoimpresseveryonewiththeking’smajesty. VersailleswasalsothebackdroptoamagnificentcourtwithLouisatthe center.AnelaborateceremonialwasdesignedtogovernproximitytotheKing andmakesupplicantscompeteforhisfavor.Inotherwords,thecourtwas alsoavastsourceofpatronageandperhapsthelargestmarriagemarketin thekingdom. ThekingwouldalsohavearguedthathestrengthenedtheCatholicchurch inFrance.TheGallicanArticlesof1682confirmedalong-standingclaimof theFrenchChurch’sindependenceofthepapacyandofthesuperiorityof churchcouncilsoverthepopeinmattersoffaith. Otherreligiousmeasuresweremorecontroversial.Louis’spietydeepened asheaged,andhefoundtheexistenceoftheProtestantminorityinFrance anaffront.Allcontemporariesbelievedthatreligiousdiversitywasharmful. ProtestantswereatemptingtargetforFrance’senemies,Englandandthe DutchRepublic,andareligiousminoritywasinitselfdivisive.Louis’sgrandfa- ther,HenriIV,hadbeenforcedtograntProtestantssomerightsofassembly andcivilstatusin1598,notsomuchoutofconvictionasameansofpacify- ingthekingdom.HissuccessorshadgraduallywhittleddownProtestantprivi- legesandthenumbersofProtestants,or“Huguenots,”graduallydwindledto lessthanamillion.TheoccasionforthefinalblowwasFrance’srefusaltoaid therival,albeitChristian,HapsburgsinthedefenseofViennaagainstthe Turksin1683.TheRevocationoftheEdictofNantesin1685aimedtohigh- lighttheking’sCatholicbonafides.NotonlydidthenewEdictmaintainthat therewerenomoreProtestantsleft,therefollowedamultigenerationperse- cutionofpastorsandtheirflocks.Theresultwasanhugeemigrationandan intractablerevolt,knownastheCamisardRebellion,thatbrokeoutin1702. Louis’sreputationasatyrantwaslaidinProtestantEuropeandlaterinthe Enlightenment.InFranceitselfatthetime,thepraisewasnearlyuniversal. Anotherheresy,atleastfromtheperspectiveofLouis,Jansenism,proved moredifficulttocontendwith.Jansenismwaspotentiallysubversivebecauseit claimedthathumaninstitutionswerefallibleandsopresentedachallengeto thedivineoriginofthemonarch’sjustice.OneofLouis’slastactswastopre- vailuponthepapacytoreissueitscondemnationofJansenisminthebull Unigentitusin1713.ThisdroveJansenistsunderground,wheretheirdoctrines spreadindependentlyofepiscopalsupervision.TheresultwasthatJansenists begantodevelopconceptsoffreedomofconscienceandreligioustoleration. 7 ThethemeofthehistoryoftheFrenchmonarchyiscentralization.Warforced thekings,however,toviolateornegotiateawaymanyprivileges.Inthe provinceofLanguedoc,forexample,mosttaxmoneywasspentonlocalser- vices.LocalelitesalsowelcomedthesuppressionoftheHuguenots.Onother occasions,theCrownwasmorerepressive.Itimposedaheadtaxonthe nobilityin1695,thuseliminatingoneofthedistinctivecharacteristicsofthe SecondEstateforever.Itputsuchpressureonofficeholdersforloansand giftsthatthemarketvalueoftheofficedeclinedsomuchitneverrecovered. Louis’swarshadbeencostly,notleastbecausethesacrificeshedemanded madesomewriterscriticizethekingforunderminingtraditionalnotionsof kingship.Forinstance,theologianandwriterFénelon(1651–1715)usedalle- gorytocriticizethestateoftherealm.HisnovelTélémaquefollowedtheson ofUlyssesthroughouttheancientworldtoanalyzetheproblemsofvarious states.LikeFranceinthe1690s,theseplacessufferedfromrulerssurround- edbyflatterersandsycophants.Betteradvicefrommoresincerecouncilors wouldputthesecountriesatpeacewiththeirneighbors,discouragethepro- ductionofuselessluxurygoods,promoteagriculture,andkeeptaxeslow. ThisidealizedvisionofkingshipimplicitlycriticizedLouisforvanityandvain- glory.YetFénelonwasnorevolutionary.Hewascallingforareturntothe principlesoftruemonarchy. Acomparablecritiqueemergedfromthecourtierandmemorialist,theduc deSaint-Simon(1675–1755).Again,thiswasacomplaintaboutthedegener- ationofgovernmentunderLouisXIV.Saint-Simonblamedtheriseofthe ministriesthathaddisplacedthehighnobilityfromitsnaturalroleingovern- ment.LikeFénelon,ortherebelsoftheperiod,forthatmatter,Saint-Simon sawtheissueasbadadvicetotheking.Hedeploredtheinfluenceofmere courtiers,ambitiousparvenusoflowbirth,andofthevainandlimited MadamedeMaintenon,theking’smostdevotedmistress. IfthecriticismsoftheSunKinglookedbacktoabettertime,thecomplaints alsolookedforward.Saint-Simonchargedthatthekinghadbrokenthefunda- mentallawsoftheroyalsuccessionandsoimpliedtherewerelimitsonthe king’sauthority.ItwasapositiontheJansenistshadalreadytaken.Thecom- plaintaboutwomeningovernmentwouldhaveagreatfutureintheloathing ofMadamedePompadourandMarie-Antoinette.Comparingarealkingtoan idealstandardwasultimatelysubversive. Despitethesedifficulties,though,theageofLouisXIVwasinmanyrespects thegloriousapogeeofFranceandofFrenchcultureandculturalinfluence.It tookapotentinternationalcoalitiontocontainLouis’spoliticalandmilitary ambitions,andtheFrenchCourtsetthetoneandestablishedthefashionfor aristocratsalloverEurope,andtosomedegree,forgenerationstocome. Frenchadventurers,traders,andmissionariesexploredtheinteriorofthe NorthAmericancontinentandestablishedanempirearchingfromnorthofthe St.Lawrence,throughtheGreatLakes,tothemouthoftheMississippi,and E theGulfofMexico,whichtothisdayshapesthecultureofQuebecand,toa N O lesserdegree,ofLouisiana.AndtheFranceofLouisproducedthetragedies E R ofCorneilleandRacine,thecomediesofMolière,andthetheologicaland U T neotheoreticalworksofPascal.Itwas,alltold,amostimpressivelegacy. C E L 8 FORGREATERUNDERSTANDING (cid:1) Questions 1.FromwhatwerethepowersofFrenchkingsderived? 2.WhatmoraldemandsdidJansenismmakeonitsadepts? Suggested Reading Beik,William.LouisXIVandAbsolutism:ABriefStudywithDocuments. NewYork:Bedford/St.Martin’s,2000. Other Books of Interest Black,Jeremy.FromLouisXIVtoNapoleon:TheFateofaGreatPower. London:Routledge,1999. Wolf,JohnB.LouisXIV.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,1974. 9
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