The Enlightenment: Still Burning Bright

Summary

This talk explores the enduring impact of the 18th-century Enlightenment on modern society. It discusses the origins of the Enlightenment in France, its spread to the Philippines, and its ongoing influence today. Key themes include the fight for freedom of thought, the pursuit of equality, and the use of reason to challenge ignorance and prejudice. Despite contemporary challenges to human rights and scientific truth, the speaker calls for continued enlightenment values, highlighting the importance of questioning authority and seeking the light of knowledge over the glitter of appearances.

Takeaways

• 🔥 The Enlightenment was a transformative period in 18th century Europe that championed reason, individual rights, and the questioning of traditional authority.
• 🌟 The term 'Enlightenment' signifies the use of reason to combat ignorance and the pursuit of knowledge to improve society.
• 📚 The Enlightenment was sparked by figures like Galileo, who advocated for scientific inquiry and the application of reason over blind acceptance of authority.
• 🗽 It led to significant societal changes, including the American and French Revolutions, which were influenced by Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality.
• 🌐 The Enlightenment's influence extended beyond Europe, impacting colonies like the Philippines, where it inspired movements for representation and self-governance.
• 📖 Key Enlightenment figures, such as Voltaire and Rousseau, used their writings to fight for freedom of thought and to expose injustices, influencing legal and social reforms.
• 🌱 The concept of 'modernity' emerged from the Enlightenment, viewing the world and the self as improvable through the application of reason.
• 📜 The 'Encyclopedia' was a product of the Enlightenment, aiming to democratize knowledge and promote societal improvement through the dissemination of information.
• 🏛️ The Enlightenment's fight for equality and justice is still relevant today, as seen in ongoing struggles for human rights, religious tolerance, and democratic governance.
• 🌟 Despite challenges, the flame of the Enlightenment continues to inspire those who seek to uphold its values of reason, freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge in the face of opposition.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the talk titled 'The Enlightenment Still Burning Bright'?

The main theme of the talk is the historical significance and ongoing relevance of the Enlightenment, a period of intellectual and philosophical development in 18th-century Europe that emphasized reason, individualism, and liberty, and its impact on modern society.

How did the Enlightenment begin in Europe?

The Enlightenment began in Europe with the advent of Galileo's scientific approach, which emphasized controlled experimentation, observable data, and mathematical reasoning. This approach challenged traditional authority and led to a shift towards rational inquiry and questioning of established norms.

What was the role of the Encyclopedia in the Enlightenment movement?

The Encyclopedia, published in the 1750s, played a significant role in the Enlightenment by bringing together knowledge from various fields such as sciences, arts, and crafts. It aimed to make knowledge accessible to the general public to promote improvement and innovation.

Who was Voltaire and what was his contribution to the Enlightenment?

Voltaire was a prominent French writer, historian, and philosopher known for his wit, his criticism of Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. He played a significant role in the Enlightenment by advocating for tolerance, freedom of thought, and fighting against injustice.

How did the Enlightenment's ideals spread to the Philippines?

The Enlightenment's ideals spread to the Philippines through the works of Filipino intellectuals like José Rizal and Andrés Bonifacio, who were influenced by Enlightenment thinkers. They used literature and revolutionary movements to challenge colonial rule and advocate for representation and social change.

What was the significance of the capital mutiny of 1872 in the Philippines?

The capital mutiny of 1872 in the Philippines was a significant event that led to the execution of three innocent priests, which in turn sparked a movement among educated Filipinos to demand representation and to challenge the colonial government's actions, reflecting the Enlightenment's ideals of liberty and equality.

How did the Enlightenment influence the American and French Revolutions?

The Enlightenment influenced the American and French Revolutions by promoting the ideas of liberty, equality, and the right to self-governance. These ideals led to the establishment of new legal codes and the recognition of individual rights, as seen in documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

What challenges does the speaker mention that are faced by the Enlightenment's ideals today?

The speaker mentions several challenges faced by Enlightenment ideals today, including attacks on science, such as climate change denial, religious intolerance, racism, discrimination against women, and threats to freedom of speech.

Who are some modern-day advocates of Enlightenment values mentioned in the talk?

The talk mentions the Ebon Foundation, academics like Dr. John Cruz, and writers and journalists who use scientific data and expose corruption as modern-day advocates of Enlightenment values.

What is the speaker's final message regarding the state of the Enlightenment today?

The speaker's final message is one of hope and encouragement to continue seeking the light of knowledge and truth, as represented by the Enlightenment, and not be blinded by superficial glitter. They emphasize the importance of questioning, knowing, and challenging the status quo to promote social progress.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 The Enlightenment: A Catalyst for Change

The introduction highlights the importance of the Enlightenment, a movement that sparked significant changes in Europe during the 18th century. It emphasizes the newfound freedoms, such as the right to choose one’s career, religion, and express opinions without fear of persecution—freedoms that were nonexistent over three centuries ago. The speaker sets the stage for discussing how the Enlightenment ignited change in Europe, spread to the Philippines, and continues to influence the world today.

05:01

💡 The Birth of Enlightenment and Rational Thought

This section delves into the origins of Enlightenment thinking, tracing its roots back to Galileo Galilei's scientific methods. Galileo's approach to science—observation, experimentation, and reasoning—challenged established religious and philosophical beliefs, especially regarding the cosmos. Despite the Church's resistance, his ideas spread, leading intellectuals to apply scientific reasoning to improve society, marking the beginning of the Enlightenment, which emphasized reason over ignorance.

10:02

⚖️ Philosophers' Struggle for Freedom and Equality

The third paragraph discusses how Enlightenment philosophers, like Voltaire and Rousseau, challenged religious intolerance and social inequalities. Voltaire's defense of freedom of thought and his opposition to blasphemy laws are highlighted, alongside Rousseau's ideas on equality and the questioning of societal privileges. These thinkers faced persecution, but their ideas spread across Europe, influencing legal reforms and inspiring revolutions.

15:04

🌍 Enlightenment's Legacy in the Philippines

This section explores how Enlightenment ideas reached the Philippines, where colonial grievances led to a push for representation and reform. Figures like José Rizal and Emilio Jacinto used literature and activism to challenge Spanish rule, drawing inspiration from Enlightenment ideals. Their efforts, though met with resistance, laid the groundwork for the Philippine revolution and the nation’s eventual push for independence.

20:05

🔥 The Enduring Flame of Enlightenment

The final paragraph concludes by discussing how the Enlightenment’s influence persists today, despite challenges. It commends modern institutions, academics, and journalists in the Philippines who continue to advocate for social justice, government accountability, and scientific inquiry. Despite growing threats to freedom and reason, the Enlightenment's legacy remains strong, inspiring ongoing efforts to improve society.

Keywords

💡Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. It emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. In the video, the Enlightenment is portrayed as a transformative period that ignited the flame of intellectual freedom and challenged the status quo, leading to significant societal changes. The script mentions how the Enlightenment's ideals of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of knowledge continue to resonate today, influencing modern concepts of democracy and human rights.

💡Reason

Reason, in the context of the Enlightenment, refers to the use of logical thinking and evidence-based understanding to challenge traditional beliefs and societal norms. The video discusses how the Enlightenment was seen as 'reason combating ignorance,' with radical thinkers advocating for rational inquiry to improve the world. The script uses the example of Galileo's scientific method to illustrate the triumph of reason over prejudice, which was a pivotal moment that influenced the Enlightenment's approach to knowledge and authority.

💡Galileo

Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and philosopher who played a crucial role in the scientific revolution. His development of the scientific method, which involved controlled experimentation and mathematical reasoning, laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment's emphasis on empirical evidence and reason. In the video, Galileo's challenge to the geocentric model of the universe is highlighted as a symbol of the Enlightenment's spirit of questioning established beliefs and authorities.

💡Philosophes

Philosophes were the radical thinkers of the Enlightenment era, often referred to as 'philosophers' or 'lights' in French, symbolizing their role in illuminating society with reason and critical thought. The video mentions how these individuals questioned traditional authority, including the Church and the nobility, advocating for change based on rational principles. Their ideas were instrumental in shaping the Enlightenment's ideals and contributed to the intellectual and social transformations of the time.

💡Toleration

Toleration, as discussed in the video, refers to the acceptance of diverse beliefs and practices without discrimination or persecution. The script highlights Voltaire's advocacy for tolerance, contrasting it with the intolerance that led to violence and persecution. The Enlightenment's push for tolerance was a significant step towards promoting religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the broader acceptance of diverse viewpoints, which are fundamental aspects of modern democratic societies.

💡Equality

Equality, in the context of the video, signifies the Enlightenment's challenge to traditional hierarchies and the call for a more just society where individuals are treated with equal respect and dignity. The script references Rousseau's famous quote, 'Man is born free but is everywhere in chains,' to illustrate the Enlightenment's critique of social inequality and its advocacy for a more equitable distribution of rights and opportunities.

💡Social Contract

The concept of the social contract, as mentioned in the video, is a political theory that suggests the legitimacy of a government is based on the consent of the governed. It was a key idea during the Enlightenment, challenging the divine right of kings and advocating for a government that serves the common good. The video connects this concept to the Enlightenment's push for legal reforms and the eventual revolutions in America and France, which sought to establish governments based on the principles of liberty and equality.

💡Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement, as discussed in the video, was a Filipino intellectual movement during the late 19th century that sought to raise awareness about the injustices of Spanish colonial rule and to advocate for reforms. The video connects this movement to the Enlightenment's ideals, highlighting how Filipino intellectuals like Jose Rizal used literature and advocacy to challenge the status quo and promote the values of liberty, equality, and human rights, mirroring the Enlightenment's efforts to bring about social and political change.

💡Modernity

Modernity, as referenced in the video, is the period following the Middle Ages, characterized by significant cultural, intellectual, and scientific advancements. The Enlightenment is closely allied with modernity, as both periods emphasize the potential for human progress through reason and critical inquiry. The video suggests that the Enlightenment's ideals of individual rights, scientific inquiry, and democratic governance have shaped the modern world and continue to influence contemporary societies.

💡Human Rights

Human rights, in the context of the video, are the fundamental rights to which all individuals are entitled, regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. The video discusses how the Enlightenment's emphasis on individual dignity and equality laid the groundwork for the modern human rights movement. It mentions the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights as a continuation of the Enlightenment's legacy, advocating for the protection of rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and equality before the law.

Highlights

The Enlightenment was a pivotal 18th-century European movement that championed reason, individual rights, and the questioning of traditional authority.

The movement advocated for the rights to choose one's career, religion, and the freedom of speech, which were revolutionary ideas at the time.

France, despite its prosperity, was marked by a stark contrast between the heavily taxed commoners and the lightly taxed clergy and nobility.

Galileo's scientific method, emphasizing experimentation and mathematical reasoning, laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason over authority.

The Enlightenment's radical thinkers, known as philosophes, used理性 inquiry to propose social and political reforms.

The Encyclopedia, a multi-volume work of the Enlightenment, aimed to democratize knowledge and improve society.

Voltaire, a leading figure of the Enlightenment, fought for freedom of thought and against religious intolerance.

Rousseau's concept of 'the social contract' challenged the divine right of kings and advocated for a state based on the will of the people.

The American and French Revolutions were direct outcomes of Enlightenment ideals, leading to the establishment of rights to liberty and equality.

The Enlightenment's influence reached the Philippines, inspiring a movement for representation and an end to colonial abuses.

Filipino reformers like Jose Rizal used literature to expose social injustices and advocate for change, echoing the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and critique.

Emilio Jacinto, a Filipino revolutionary, emphasized the importance of education and the pursuit of truth over superficial appearances.

Despite facing persecution, Filipino reformers坚持了启蒙运动的理念，推动了社会的进步和现代化。

Today, many countries have constitutions with bills of rights, and international bodies like the United Nations have enacted declarations to uphold human rights.

However, the ideals of the Enlightenment are still under threat, with challenges to scientific consensus, religious intolerance, and human rights.

The speaker calls for continued vigilance and the pursuit of knowledge to ensure the Enlightenment's flame continues to burn bright.

Specific groups in the Philippines, such as the Ebon Foundation and academic researchers, are commended for carrying forward the Enlightenment's spirit of inquiry and social critique.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi

good day i'd like to talk about an event

that happened

18th century europe but is still very

current today

i'd like to talk about enlightenment

the title of my talk is the

enlightenment still burning bright

we assume that today we have the right

to choose

for our lives the right to choose our

career

the right to choose a religion

or not have a religion at all the right

to express our opinions and on

government

without fear of arrest but do you

realize that

over three centuries ago such rights did

not exist

in most parts of the world so what made

the

difference that was the enlightenment

this in fact is a topic of our talk

today

i want to talk about

three things how the flame of the

enlightenment was ignited in europe

how the flames spread to the philippines

and finally

how the flame continues to burn brightly

still

today all over the world let us go to

france

which at that time was the most

prosperous in the largest country in

europe in terms of population

such freedoms did not exist in france

then

what you had was a large

commoner mass of people peasants

working men and ambusho c

consisting of educated merchants

manufacturers and government officials

they were heavily taxed and yet

the clergy and the nobility who

constituted only two percent of the

population

and owned most of the land in france

were hardly taxed so there was

resentment

unfortunately the nobility were powerful

do you realize that the noble man could

have you

imprisoned if he is if you displease a

noble man

and he could have imprisoned on on

charges for the rest of your life

meanwhile uh clergy were not questioned

at all

um they were the man of god so how can

you question them

so um they they spoke as they pleased

and also crimes against religion were

considered crimes against the state

so if you were accused of blasphemy you

could be executed

so uh what gave the men of france the

courage to question all these things

and to raise their lives something that

happened earlier

before the enlightenment which was

the advent of galileo galileo

in italy had developed a new approach

called sienza the italian for knowledge

in english we simply use the word

science

he developed this at the start of the

17th century

now his approach to reality was quite

different

he said let us do controlled

experimentation

let us gather observable data and

finally let us apply

mathematical reasoning to make sense of

this data

so there was no need actually for

external authority

because it's observation plus reason

now what did he do he applied this

to trying to understand the cosmos

and he realized looking through his

telescope which is just invented

that actually the planets and the earth

revolved around the sun not the sun and

the planets revolving around the earth

this was contrary to what the ancient

greeks

and the bible said now the church of

course was horrified this was something

new they didn't know what to do with

this

so they asked galileo to recant

under pain of torture which it did

galileo was under house arrest but

it was too late because

his ideas had spread throughout europe

especially sienza

science and it was copied everywhere and

found to be very important so

um reason in the case of galileo

triumphed

against um prejudice

so um intellectuals therefore asked

why can we not use science to make this

world

a better place let us use rational

inquiry

thus was born enlightenment

enlightenment because it was seen as

reason

combating ignorance the radical thinkers

were called philosoph

the french word for philosopher they're

also called lumiere

the french word for light

the enlightenment from emanuel kant

was really a man realizing his potential

through the use of his

mind that was the aim of enlightenment

to improve the world

in fact modernity is the view that the

world and the self

can be improved through reason so

um enlightenment and modernity are

closely allied

okay we can see very clearly the inf um

the practicality the desire of the

enlightenment to improve the world

in the encyclopedia or encyclopedia

which

the figures of enlightenment came out in

the 1750s

um it's a multi-volume encyclopedia the

first of its kind

it brought together the sciences the

arts

and the crafts a book of several volumes

uh you can see how much they revered

even ordinary knowledge

this page illustrates for you how pins

are made

can you imagine that pins they

illustrated this

why because they wanted all this

knowledge they're available

ordinary people in the hope that they

could

improve on this current knowledge

unfortunately the church objected

why because some passages of

enlightenment

question religion it questioned

the truth of miracles because if

everything

is subjected to reason even miracles

have to be proven

but the philosophers fought back they

were fighting for the right

to think freely the champion was

voltaire

was a popular figure all over europe

because of his writings tolerance has

never provoked a civil war

but intolerance has covered the world in

carnage

so um it took up cases

of people who were victimized even

though they were innocent

the celebrated case was that of a young

french nobleman jean-francois de la barr

who was accused of blasphemy blasphemy

in what way

because jean-francois did not take off

his hat

when a procession passed by at the same

time he was accused of vandalizing a

public crucifix

so what was his punishment they tore off

his tongue

and then cut off his head now voltaire

of course was outraged

he publicized the case all throughout

europe

with his writings authorities in france

were forced

to listen now voltaire did not succeed

in having the case reviewed but he

succeeded

in having this as the last blasphemy

execution

ever the favorite um expression of

altair was

he classed you have to crush the horror

and this is still very true today we

have to crush the horror

the second fight of the enlightenment

was for equality

resource said man is born

free but is everywhere in chains

he says yes we europeans

have conquered the world but does that

make us

necessarily superior to those we have

conquered necessarily

because um you have um

people who are illiterate half naked

you call them savages but they're

they're capable of many things we're not

capable of

if we were in the wilderness without our

technology

without our ladders we would never be

able to climb a tree

but look at these um savages they're

quite able to climb a tree with such

agility

it only shows that the savages are as

intelligent

as the colonizer okay the other thing he

was concerned about

was that private property in land is not

present in all societies

so um turning to france

turning to europe he said he was hinting

the nobility should not imagine

that their privileges have been around

for centuries

in fact such privileges do not exist

in some other societies especially in

simple societies

so such privileges are the product of

convention

and if they're the product of convention

they can be modified

he was not calling for the elimination

of private property

rather he was saying that the laws of

the state can mitigate

social inequality why because the state

itself

is not divinely ordained the state

is really a social contract between the

citizens

and those who govern them the citizens

can demand

[Music]

benefits from the state in exchange for

giving up

some of the rights now

voltaire and russo were exiled they were

punished

in fact some of the writers encyclopedia

were also jailed

nonetheless their works spread

all over europe so too late

they already had a following all over

all over in fact

open-minded members of the bourgeoisie

the nobility and even the clergy were

listening to them

in fact some of the kings were

sympathetic so what happened was that

very slowly some of the legal codes were

re-examined

attitudes changed however

unfortunately taxation without

representation

still prevailed hence the american and

the french revolutions

exploded in 1776 and 1789

the result was those

who came to power tried to

uh enact laws that finally

um acknowledged the right to liberty the

right equality

so um the french revolution published

this wonderful document the declaration

of

the rights of man and the citizen it's

said that social

distinctions can only be founded on the

common good

so the article uh two in fact points out

the right of

political association is inherent so

there is no reason to prevent people

from

forming organizations the state should

not be suspicious

the enlightenment spread to the

philippines because here there are

plenty of grievances

against the government it was a colonial

government

after the capital mutiny exploded in

1872

the government overreacted because it

was afraid of a revolution

so what it did was it arrested

three innocent priests and had them

strangled publicly

to quell dissent these were fathers

gomez

burgos and zamora so educated filipinos

were horrified

they decided it was time to organize a

movement

to call attention to what was happening

in the colony

as well as they wanted to to demand

representation in the spanish parliament

so they could have a voice unfortunately

um the government did not listen still

members of the propaganda persisted like

jose rizal he decided to write

novels uh dramatizing what was happening

so in olympia it points out how the

maneuverings of two friars

destroy two innocent lives christos

ibarra is forced to feed the country

because it's

accused of rebellion and his fiancee

maria clara

enters the nunnery and ends up crazy

um in his second novel oserisal says

there are no tyrants where there are no

slaves this is the novel alfie busterism

because result was convinced that

yes we need radical change

but radical change has to come from

within

okay otherwise you exchange one tyrant

for another

no unfortunately the spaniards didn't

still didn't listen so what happened

andres bonifacio decided it's time to

form a revolutionary government

it's time to separate from spain the

ideologue

of the catepunan was emilio jacinto

who wrote articles for the underground

paper

he said that it's important to

distinguish

between glitter and light

we worship glitter but reject light

so a magnificent courage courage passes

by according to hacinto

we are enthralled we are impressed but

the owner may actually be a thief

and it's important for us to realize

that this may be why the colonial

government is able to

take take such hold on us

because we're impressed by the glitter

so um pacinto was

emphatic about the importance of light

it's unfortunate that we don't

generally connect result a sinto

and others to the enlightenment but in

fact

there's such a close connection um if

only we could use

the word illustrato in the original

spanish sense

original spanish chance of israel has

nothing to do with being wealthy

illustrado has me two meanings in

spanish to be

first to be educated whether you're rich

or poor that is illustrato

secondly to believe in enlightenment

again whether you're rich or poor

because enlightenment in spanish is

illustration

so definitely a poor fellow like

haciento

was an illustrator twice because he was

educated

and because he believed in enlightenment

he was

after or a light better

so what happened to rizal and asinto

they too suffered

result as we know was executed while

pujacinto

took up arms outsmarted the spaniards

but

found himself fighting the americans he

died from

wounds sustained in battle their ideals

however

inspired the philosophy of our republic

in fact the ideals also imparted

modernity

to the philippines because many

filipinos assume today

that they have a right to question the

status quo

in order to improve their lives so

um is the flame still burning brightly

today yes

definitely many countries have

constitutions with the bill of rights

the united nations enacted the

declaration of

human rights in 1948 because

it wanted its charter countries to

follow suit

meanwhile churches like the catholic now

advocate religious tolerance

and democracy and policymakers

now consult science experts regularly

science-based evidence is very important

today

unfortunately it is not just utopia

because

science itself is under attack when it

challenges power for interest

for instance in the question of climate

change

the logical thing to do since carbon

dioxide is trapped in our

atmosphere by our emissions is to

conserve the forests expand the forests

as well as to reduce our

dependence on fossil fuels but this is

not happening

because powerful commercial interests

are denouncing

climate change as a hoax this is despite

what the scientists are doing

the other thing is there's actually been

a counter-attack against human rights

religious intolerance

is once more rearing its ugly head

in fact there are victims of

religious intolerance all over the world

when um

extreme extremist christians or hindus

or muslims or buddhists assume control

they persecute people from other faiths

moreover racism is once again rampant

so if you're out of a different caller

if you're darker and you get arrested

you stand a higher chance

of getting killed by the police there's

also

um discrimination against women women

constitute one half of the population

but they still receive lower paid than

men

in many places and finally um

many governments may have constitutions

that declare themselves

democratic but try criticizing some

governments today

and they hit back at you for upsetting

the social order

so definitely freedom's speech is

endangered

however i'd like to remind us not to

lose hope

sapere aude dare to know was what

emmanuel kant said dare to know

dare to ask dare to question

at the same time let us consider what

emilia hasinta said

i think hanapin and luana wactio becomes

an ending

let us look for the light and not be

dazzled by glitter

i would like to conclude by commanding

three sectors in the philippines that to

my mind

still carried enlightenment forward one

is the ebon foundation

a research foundation that since the

1960s

specialized in

doing solid research on

social economic issues and as an

alternative view of poverty

unfortunately um conservative powers

look at ebon

as troublemakers so they have been

persecuted for

for harboring descent's dissidents the

second group

i'd like to commend are academics who

use scientific data

to advocate for more effective

government policies

for instance in ateneo you have dr john

cruz

who has studied um

the infection rate during this pandemic

covet 19 he thinks that the infection

rate in the philippines is really much

higher than government figures

it could probably be running to 2

million to 3 million

this is based on statistical probability

because

other countries in southeast asia the

five biggest countries

um actually um

seem to have higher rates than would be

otherwise

indicated unfortunately um

the government does not seem to want to

take the next logical step

which is uh have

mass testing and finally i would like to

commend writers and journalists who

expose what really is being

done by the state on particular issues

for example the corruption in government

for their efforts um like voltaire

like rousseau they have been jailed

worse like missile they sometimes get

killed

so it's a problem indeed

despite the growing shadows

the enlightenment flame continues to

burn bright

thank you

[Music]

[Laughter]

[Music]

you