Kant and the Enlightenment: Historical and Sociocultural Context
Historical Background
Kant was born in 1724 and died in 1804. The 18th century began with international conflicts over succession, such as the Spanish Crown, which pitted the European powers against each other. After thirteen years of hostilities, the Austrian Succession War arose in 1740. Britain and France were the main players in this conflict, seeking to improve their economies, expand their territories, and achieve greater hegemony.
This led to two major events of the time: the independence of the American colonies in the north and the French Revolution. These developments represent a radical change in Europe that transformed society, institutions, and the way government was organized. The entire previous period was called the Old Regime.
The new approach changed all aspects of human life. The Enlightenment was characterized by a strong belief in reason, critical thinking, and unlimited scientific and technical progress. It defended a just social order. During the Enlightenment, Frederick II, a patron of the arts and sciences, promoted basic education.
Sociocultural Context
A highlight of this period was the increase in the European population. In the second half of the 18th century, this positive effect was related to the Industrial Revolution, which facilitated the increase of the farming population with new work systems, the introduction of new crops, and improvements in the storage and conservation of products. This helped to improve the diet of the population. Another factor that favored the increase in population was the decline in wars and improved hygiene, but this was not widespread, as the poor population still lived in poverty.
Society was stratified, with hierarchy determined by birth and privilege. The privileged classes were the nobility and the clergy, while the bourgeoisie and peasantry formed the third estate. These social differences caused the revolution. The ideas of freedom and equality filled the thinkers with optimism, who believed in the future, historical progress, and man as a rational animal. The aim was to create an atmosphere of free thought, social justice, and moral equality in which man could reach their full potential.
Philosophical Context
Kant’s childhood was marked by Pietism (a Lutheran-influenced religion that understood the Christian faith as an active relationship with God rather than as a set of rules), which was instilled by his mother and later rejected by Kant. Pietism was very present in German society.
In 1740, Kant entered the University of Königsberg as a student of theology and was a pupil of Martin Knutzen, who introduced him to the rationalist philosophy of Leibniz and Wolff and instilled an interest in natural science (physics at that time), particularly Newtonian mechanics.
The Enlightenment, as a set of ethical and philosophical values, was not rooted in a uniform social unit throughout Europe. However, it marked the beginning of the collapse of traditional metaphysical approaches, especially in ethics and politics. It was under these circumstances that Kantian thought emerged.