lesson plan - enlightenmen

8/11/2019 Lesson Plan - Enlightenmen

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1. The rise of two British Empires

- After 7 years war (1756-1763), England took over Canada, India from France

- After the 7 years war, the American colonies began to rebel against the policies of

Britain

- The Independence War of the American colonies (1775-1783), whose origins are in the

resistance against taxes imposed by British parliament, gained the Independence for 13

colonies

the end of the first Empire- Within 25 years after the end of the first Empire, the second one was strongly developed

in size and in strength (1783-1815)the sun never set on the British Empire

2. The Disputes between two leading parties

- There are two main parties in the United Kingdom: the Conservative Party, and the

Labour Party. There is also a significant third party, the Liberal Democrats.

- The Tory Party (Tories), later known as Conservative Party, wanted a peace policy,

belonged to High Church, consisting of great landowners, aristocrats and clergymen

- The Whig, later known as Liberal Party, considered a revolution as their work , belonge

to the Low Church, consisting of merchants, financiers, bourgeoisie and dissenters

- put English political and social life into confusion

3. The development of industrial revolution

- Money went to inventions, sponsored the building of machines, roads and canals

- Led to the development of public reading through low cost reading materials, which

made them available to ordinary people

4. Great advances in Science and philosophy

- Science became modern

+ Isaac Newton in field of physics

+ Adam Smith in field of economics

+John Lock in field of philosophy: no man was born with any ready ideas. The mind at

birth as a sheet of blank paper to be written on by experience

Became fundamental to liberty and reforming thought

5. Term of enlightenment

- Historical phase succeeding the Renaissance and Romanticism, Believed in authority of

Reason, in its ability to understand and explain, Favored toleration and moderation in

religionEverything seemed possible to human reason- Indicates the historical role of the bourgeoisie in comparison with the collapse of

feudalism and all its remains, Criticizes the feudal relations, Praise the personality of a

natural man

- Implies the progress of the ideological movement and literature as the result of the

Industrial Revolution, Literature gained a reading public, The style of 18thcentury

became admirably fluent, clear and exact


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- Means democratic, Defends the interests of common people, Objects to social inequality

religious hypocrisy and immorality of aristocracy

6. Leading doctrines of the Enlightenment

Reason is a principal tool for all humans to think and to act correctly

Man is good by nature. And mans good nature can be brought to perfect through education

All men and women are born equal in respect of their rationality and should thus be given

the right to equality before the lawBeliefs, religious, customs are to be questioned and accepted on the basic of reason

Supernatural and miraculous elements are discarded as the whole universe is formed as a

rational system accessible to human reason

Man to man is brother to brother, regardless of nationality or country residence

7. Enlightenment in Literature

Transition from poetry and the heroic age of Shakespeare to the prosaic age of essayists

Popularity of Satire

The rise of political pamphlets

Novel became the leading form of these days

- Characterized by: Alexander Popea neo classicist

- Daniel Defoethe father of English realistic novel

- Jonathan Swiftthe greatest satirist

- Robert burnsthe plowman Poet

TWO DIFFERENT TENDENCIES

- The Moderates: were in favor of existing order, wanted to improve the world by

teaching, were represented by Daniel Defoe, Alexander Pope

-

The Radicals: openly criticized the vicious social order, wanted more democracy, were

represented by Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Robert Burns

8. Major authors

John Dryden -English classicism: 1631-1740, Master of didactic verse, Literary idol of

17th

century

Alexander PopeA Neo-Classicist: The first English poet to support himselfsolelyby hi

writing, Being Catholic prevented him from holding public office or getting a wealthy

patron, Despite the religious and health disadvantages, prized the values of humanity by

setting his life as a typical example, First major work wasAn Essay on Criticism, whichbrought him to the attention of the leading literary figures of the time.A brilliant satirist-on

of his best known works is The Rape of the Lock,one of the greatest Mock Epics in English

Features of Neo-Classicism: Control of emotion, Worship of Reason and good sense,

Adherence to the styles and aesthetic principles of ancient Greek and Roman

Daniel Defoe: Born into a working class family, Considered the ministry but instead

decided on becoming a crappy businessman, Was pilloried for political writing


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Wrote two very popular novels (a new form at the time),Robinson Crusoe andMoll

Flanders(both purported to be nonfiction), Crusoe started a genre, Also wrote a real non

fiction accountJournal of the Plague Year

Jonathan Swift: Was born in Dublin, Ireland, Was a minister in the Church of England,

His satirical works ruined his chances to advance in the church, Still remained a staunch

supporter of the Anglican faith, Held a great amount of political power in later years- wrote

political pamphlets for the government, Wrote A Modest Proposal which championed theIrish cause, His greatest work, Gullivers Travelsis considered one of the greatest satires in

British Literature

Satire

A work that blends humor and wit for the improvement of human institutions or humanity

Satire is not intended to tear down as much as to inspire remodeling

Does not attack an individual- it will pass overa single foe to charge whole armies.

Satire is subtle enough that the reader must make the inference to what or who is being

mocked

lesson plan - enlightenmen

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