The Age of Reason
Neoclassicism
Mr. Hutchinson
Academic English 11
The End of the Puritan Community
Due to the expansion of settlement (large
number of settlers), the Puritan sense of
community was threatened. It was not
longer possible to keep a majority.
The Age of Reason
Two dominate groups of theories dominated
the Age of Reason—deism and
neoclassicism.
Science
Christian views on scientific subjects began to be
challenged by science at about 1700.
Newton—scientific principles underlie the structure of the
universe
Boyle (follower of Newton) wrote that the mechanical
principles of the universe were “the alphabet in which
God wrote the world.” Science will figure out everything
and solve all problems.
Darwin—the theory of natural selection—God didn’t create
humans in his image—the design of humans arrived
through slow gradual changes.
The Clockwork Universe
Clockwork universe—the idea that God created
the world, gave humans the ability to figure it
out, and then moved on to other things. In this
belief, God has set up Natural Laws based on
logic to govern the universe. He had no reason
to interfere with the laws of Nature as He
created them. This idea contrasted with the
Puritan notion that God’s hand was in
everything. Looking for messages from God in
daily human life became an abandoned idea.
Deism
For the deists, the existence of God is
deduced from the ordered structure of the
universe (patterns, variety, and complexity
of Nature) rather than the Bible
(revelation—the “revealed word of God”).
Voltaire made the ideas of Deism popular.
Deism
God was to be found in science—nature.
The complexity, variety and order in
Nature proved that there had to be an
intelligence behind creation.
Deism
Deists believed in the idea of tabula rasa—
there is no innate (inborn) good or evil. To
them, character is formed by experience.
“Experience is the stylus that writes our
selves.” John Locke popularized the idea
of tabular rasa.
Deism
Nature vs. nurture.
Nature—Puritans, humans are born fully
formed, experience cannot not change a
human.
Deism
Nurture—Deists, humans are formed
through empirical experience
(empiricism—philosophical idea that
sensory experience is the basis of self,
life, thought).
Deism
Locke also believed that civil and political
rights are located in the people of a nation.
Monarchy is based on the idea that God
has chosen the rulers of the world (the
divine right of kings). Again, why
interfere with the order of the universe as
He set it up? Deists believed in
democracy—representative democracy
called republicanism.
Deism
The Deists believed in free will rather than
predestination.
Deism
Deists believed in perfectibility. Life and
people could be perfected through science
and reason. They believed all problems
would eventually be solved by science.
God had given us reason (intelligence) so
that we could figure out everything. Once
we figured out the world, we would reach
perfection. This belief has been said to be
a basis for democracy.
Neoclassicism
In the arts, neoclassicism (the idea that the
Greeks and Romans had perfected style
and the arts) as an aesthetic took over
from the plain style of the Puritans. For
the neoclassicists, reason was the logical
basis for all art.
Neoclassicism
The structures of Classical Greece and
Rome were logical and worth studying;
thus, rhetoric became an important field of
study.
Neoclassicism
The neoclassicists believed that there
should be an innate order in well made
things.
Neoclassicism
The idea of infinite progress in all human
endeavors was an important neoclassical
idea. Thus, things could and would get
better if humans thought everything
through.
Neoclassicism
Everything could be idealized—brought to
perfection though human work.
Neoclassicism
The ideas of practicality and unity were
dominate ideas in the neoclassic
aesthetic.
Neoclassicism
Skepticism was an important neoclassical
method because they believed that the
world could be completely understood
through logic. Any mysteries would be
figured out via science.