E is for Enlightenment #AtoZChallenge
I’m doing the A to Z Challenge in April, using the theme of the UK & Ireland. Today is the letter E. I have questions about the Enlightenment.
Our visit to England in 2014 was mostly around the theme of the Industrial Revolution. We want to visit the UK again and, this time, I think the theme will be related, but skew a little earlier in history: The Age of Enlightenment.
The Enlightenment was an 18th-century philosophical movement in Europe that focused on science and reason, leading to many of the advances in human thought that led to the modern world (for better or worse). Enlightenment thinkers gave us everything from Newtonian physics to the ideals in the US Constitution.
I’m not entirely sure how to make this work, so I’m looking for information. How would you plan an itinerary to explore the British Enlightenment? I assume that this will give us the perfect excuse to head up to Scotland, probably Edinburgh, but I’m not sure what we’ll want to see when we get there.
Where can we walk in the footsteps of David Hume, Adam Smith, and John Black? Who else and what else do I want to learn about? What books should I read? Is there any way to find out about the unsung role of women in the Enlightenment?
I have ‘The Lunar Men’ on my tbr pile. It is the story of how a group of friends in Birmingham started the Enlightenment there. I hadn’t realised Birmingham was such a revolutionary place! Last year in Edinburgh, I noticed the information centre had a guide to enlightenment Edinburgh, which is also available on Amazon.
You’d probably want to visit Edinburgh University where Hume studied. You could visit Edinburgh Castle while you’re there. The British Museum in London has a room dedicated to the enlightenment too.
Thanks! We never made it to the British Museum, so I didn’t know that. I’ll make sure that gets on the itinerary.
Pingback:E is for Enjoy (The Bible Says What!?!…about your money) #AprilA2Z | Kristin King Author
Fascinating era but I remember very little about it 🙂
Pingback:L is for Lovelace #AtoZChallenge #BriFri – Joy's Book Blog