Odyssey of the West. : V, Enlightenment, revolution and renewal a classic education through great books

81 Pages·2008·1.194 MB·English

by  Timothy Baker Shutt, Fred E Baumann, Joel F Richeimer, Donald Sutherland

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
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OdysseyoftheWestV:
AClassicEducationthroughtheGreatBooks:
Enlightenment,Revolution,andRenewal
ProfessorTimothyB.Shutt,serieseditor
FeaturingProfessorsFredE.Baumann,JoelF.Richeimer,
andDonaldM.G.Sutherland
(cid:1)
ExecutiveProducer
JohnJ.Alexander
ExecutiveEditor
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RECORDING
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Lecturecontent©2008byTimothyB.Shutt,
©2008byFredE.Baumann,©2008byJoelF.Richeimer,
and©2008byDonaldM.G.Sutherland
Courseguide©2008byRecordedBooks,LLC
7
2008byRecordedBooks,LLC
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#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
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theGreekhistorians,Virgil,andDanteeveryyearto
apackedhouse.
FREDE.BAUMANNistheHarryM.ClorProfessorof
PoliticalScienceatKenyonCollege.Heteaches
coursesinthehistoryofpoliticalphilosophy,politics
andliterature,diplomatichistory,andstatesmanship.
Baumann BaumannistheauthorofFraternityandPolitics:
E. ChoosingOne’sBrothers,andanassociateeditorof
Fred thejournalInterpretation.Baumannreceivedthe
of
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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