ENGLISH

History and Nature in the Enlightenment: Praise of the Mastery of Nature in Eighteenth-Century Historical Literature

Book information

Publisher
Ashgate
Year
2011
ISBN
1409421147, 9781409421146
LCC
GF540 .W65 2011
Open Library ID
OL25042200M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
2 MB (2203137 bytes)
Pages
309\309
Orientation
yes
Scanned
no
Time added
2012-02-04 16:00:00

Description

The mastery of nature was viewed by eighteenth-century historians as an important measure of the progress of civilization. Modern scholarship has hitherto taken insufficient notice of this important idea. This book discusses this topic in connection with the mainstream religious, political, and philosophical elements of Enlightenment culture. It considers works by Edward Gibbon, Voltaire, Herder, Vico, Raynal, Hume, Adam Smith, William Robertson, and a wide range of lesser- and better-known figures. It also discusses many classical, medieval, and early modern sources which influenced Enlightenment historiography, as well as eighteenth-century attitudes toward nature in general.

Similar books