Enlightenment Thought and Inquiry

With the Enlightenment movement common ideals and principles were challenged and shifted with new ones. This new perspective allowed people to gather together to spark interest in intellectual conversations. However, although this time period made people question unjust ways of the past the treatment and view of women was still the same. A popular debate on women emphasized what did people really think the role of a woman should be. Was it to be a housewife and caretaker? Should women have a limited role in society? In response to these views Mary Wollstonecraft rejected these ideas about women and further explained why women should have the rights they deserve to have. The age of reason gave more thought into scientific discovers and furthering the understanding of the life we live. This is relevant to this module because of the advancements being made during this Enlightenment period. The module talks about how advances in thought both benefited and suffered society.

Of Elephants and Roses

This exhibit shows the discovers made from 1790-1830 in France. The sites displayed what factors contributed to France’s prosperity during a rough time period. The different sites showed the advances France was able to make in scientific discovery. In “Music for the Elephants”, documentation of fossils was sent to France which began as the start of paleontology. In a playful light the “Everything Giraffe” became an ideal of admiration. The story of the tiny giraffe that traveled to Paris became popular enough to appear on everyday objects. The site relates to the course by giving an example of a scientific progress that was made during the Enlightenment period. The module talks about advances in natural sciences, literature, and politics. With the documentation of the fossils it made a discovery in a field that was yet to be recognized.

Entering the Dragon

In the peak of exploration and discovery, the English found interest in the East specifically Asia. English merchants were consumed by ordering large amounts of porcelains and silks. Although beautiful, these goods enticed merchants because they were foreign. To imitate these imports the English copied it, to be known as “Chinoiserie”. Even other European countries tried their own versions of Chinoiserie. A popular form of Chinoiserie was in large ceramic vessels. Since these were replicas of Asian imports, the English tried to capture what the pictured the Far East to be. John Stalker and George Parker took these designs and produced templates for other to follow. Although exotic, they kept their designs satisfiability to the taste of the English. In relation to the module, this relates to the interest Europeans had with other cultures. These new influences and inspirations helped mold the foundation for their own Enlightenment.