Literature of the European Enlightenment

Abstract

Purpose. The article pursues both scholarly and didactic aims: to provide an overview of Enlightenment literature drawing on works of various genres from European literary tradition, and to develop a conceptual framework for teaching the history of culture – particularly the history of literature – to university students. Methods. The survey nature of the article is supported by a logical and systematic presentation of the core material. Literary texts are examined as historical sources for studying the worldview orientations of European society in the 18th century, as well as the projections of its development shaped by the intellectual efforts of philosophers, encyclopaedists, writers, and others. Results. The study identifies the intellectual priorities of a distinctive historical period termed “the Enlightenment” by its own ideologists: the recognition of natural rationality and the need for education in people of all backgrounds; the identification of signs of social degradation and the advancement of ideas of liberal governance; generic diversity and the incorporation of philosophy into literary works as the Enlighteners’ contribution to a future reformed society. Conclusions. The Enlightenment was a historical epoch that defined the course of historical development in most European countries during the 18th century, although it did not constitute the sole ideological and aesthetic platform in culture. The French Enlightenment became the most influential movement in the culture of the modern era. As a label for a new ideology, the Enlightenment draws on Christian tradition. As it is often the case in secular culture, the image of light underwent a fundamental transformation – it came to signify the illumination of humanity by the light of reason, present both in the universe and in the individual. Like Renaissance humanism, the Enlightenment was not merely a literary movement but a philosophical, social, and ethical platform that found expression in art and literature. European literatures of the period are characterised by: a shared ideological aspiration and commitment to art as a transformative force; the intensity of aesthetic thought; generic diversity – ranging from the essay, memoir, and epistolary writing to the novel, at the expense of lyricism (poetry); the imaginative construction of a new type of hero as a forerunner of the tribune of the French Convention; the overcoming of literary fragmentation and a growing interest in the literatures of neighbouring peoples, among other features.