The Eighteenth Century Today
18th Century
(hello? 19th century? Are you in there?)
The present
18th Century
1776 – Declaration of Independence
1783 – Revolutionary War ends
1787 – Constitution adopted
1789 – Constitution goes into effect
The present
Enlightenment’scorebeliefs
1.  knowable,consistent
“self”
2.  Thatselfcomestoknow
theworldthrough
experienceand
understandsItthrough
reason
3.  ReasonistheulCmate
judgeofwhat’sreal,
true,andright
…the nonage which has become almost
second nature. . . (Kant, par.3)
If I have a book that thinks for me, a
pastor who acts as my conscience, a
physician who prescripts my diet, and so
on – then I have no need to exert
myself . . . (Kant, par. 2)
Now I hear the cry from all sides: “Do
not argue!” The officer says: “Do not
argue – drill!” The tax collector: “Do no
argue – pay!” The pastor: “Do not argue
– believe!” […] We find restrictions on
freedom everywhere. (par. 5)
Dare to know! … “Have to courage to
use your own understanding,” is . . . The
motto of the enlightenment. (par 1)
We hold these Truths to be selfevident, that all Men are created
equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness. (Jefferson, Declaration,
par. 2)
The people reign in
the American political
world as the Deity
does in the universe.
They are the cause
and aim of all things;
everything comes from
them, and everything
is absorbed in them.
(de Tocqueville, p.2,
par. 4)
The Sleep
of Reason
Produces
Monsters
Francisco
Goya (c. 1797-99)
Trustthyself:everyheart
vibratestothatironstring
Afoolishconsistencyisthe
hobgoblinofliJleminds,
adoredbyliJlestatesmenand
philosophersanddivines.
Tobegreatistobemisunderstood
Nomancanviolate
hisnature.
Nothingcanbring
youpeacebut
yourself
“Some of you, we all
know, are poor […] I
have no doubt that some
of you who read this
book are unable to pay
for all the dinners which
you have actually eaten,
or for the coats and
shoes which are fast
wearing or are already
worn out, and have
come to this page to
spend borrowed or
stolen time, robbing
your creditors of an
hour” (p.2 par. 1)
The mass of men lead lives of quite
desperation. What is called resignation
is confirmed desperation. From the
desperate city you go into the desperate
country, and have to console yourself
with the bravery of minks and
mu s k r a t s. A s t e r e o t y p e d b u t
unconscious despair is concealed
even under what are called the games
and amusements of mankind. There
is no play in them, for this comes
after work. But it is a characteristic of
wisdom not to do desperate things. (p.
2, par. 4)
RipVanWinkle
WashingtonIrving(1819)
Itissocomfortabletobeaminor.
Kant,“WhatIsEnlightenment?”
Rip Van Winkle Comic Books
Illustrated by N.C. Wyeth (1921)
Instead of the great tree that used
to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn
of yore, there now was reared a tall
naked pole, with something on the
top that looked like a red nightcap,
and from it was fluttering a flag, on
which was a singular assemblage of
stars and stripes - all this was
strange and incomprehensible. He
recognized on the sign, however,
the ruby face of King George,
under which he had smoked so
many a peaceful pipe, but even this
was singularly metamorphosed. The
red coat was changed for one of
blue and buff, a sword was held in
the hand instead of a sceptre, the
head was decorated with a cocked
hat, and underneath was painted in
large characters, "GENERAL
[GEORGE] WASHINGTON."
John Quidor, “The Return of
Rip Van Winkle” (1849)