Where else could Enlightenment ideas thrive?

My question is, besides France, where else could Enlightenment ideas thrive? Much of Europe (I'm looking at you, oh so evil mass revolts in Austria) was conservative during the time, but other rulers, like Frederick the Great, embraced them (to the extent that they did, is another story).
 
My question is, besides France, where else could Enlightenment ideas thrive? Much of Europe (I'm looking at you, oh so evil mass revolts in Austria) was conservative during the time, but other rulers, like Frederick the Great, embraced them (to the extent that they did, is another story).
The Netherlands. Actualy there existed some sort of proto-enlightenment in the Dutch Republic and French writers were somewhat influenced by it.
 
I don't get the question. They were embraced in lots of places: all over North America, Latin America, all over Europe...
 
Any non-Orthodox European country where the Catholic Church as an institution is either weak or thoroughly despised would be a decent ground for Enlightenment ideas.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Scotland, perhaps?

It did. In fact it was one of the more important Enlightenment movements of the time and can be seen as a direct contrast to French Enlightenment.

Also the the English Enlightenment, in which the philosopher John Locke set the stage for the ultimate climax of the American Enlightenment, the United States of America.

Looking at the list, the German States underwent a movement which saw the development of the language and German Nationalism, Russian, which prompted the modernization of the state and set off the end to serfdom, Spain underwent major reforms and staved off collapse, Poland the national ideal of Poland, though it didn't last long, Italian states underwent heavy liberal reforms, the Netherlands progressed Science, literature and Philosophy.

Arguably OP, if you're trying to imply that the French were the only nation to undergo the Enlightenment and Liberal reforms, it's rather insulting towards the philosophers such as Kant, Locke, Hume, and others to ignore their part in the Enlightenment. it wasn't a French movement, it was a massive ideological shift in European idea's and culture. The Enlightenment lasted from the mid-1600's to the early-1800's. Also, how is Austria's mass riot 'evil' exactly? If it's the one I think you're talking about, the one with the Nationalist movements that sought to overthrow the Hapsburgs, Movements that were born out of the Enlightenment, then how exactly can you call them evil?
 
Last edited:

Saphroneth

Banned
It did. In fact it was one of the more important Enlightenment movements of the time and can be seen as a direct contrast to French Enlightenment.

Also the the English Enlightenment, in which the philosopher John Locke set the stage for the ultimate climax of the American Enlightenment, the United States of America.

Looking at the list, the German States underwent a movement which saw the development of the language and German Nationalism, Russian, which prompted the modernization of the state and set off the end to serfdom, Spain underwent major reforms and staved off collapse, Poland the national ideal of Poland, though it didn't last long, Italian states underwent heavy liberal reforms, the Netherlands progressed Science, literature and Philosophy.

Well, yes, I suppose I was partly wondering why Scotland (and England, and Germany, and Italy...) weren't already on the list!

Royal Society and all that, for a start.
 
Well, yes, I suppose I was partly wondering why Scotland (and England, and Germany, and Italy...) weren't already on the list!

Royal Society and all that, for a start.

i guess OP means where else can the Enlightenment start a bloody revolution.
 
America/Britain- American Revolution
German States- Unification of Germany
Italian States- Unification of Italy

yes. though the latter two are 19th century and more Romantic than Enlightenment.

---

on that note, the Enlightenment pretty much thrived everywhere in Europe, which is why there were backlashes and why there were reforms.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
yes. though the latter two are 19th century and more Romantic than Enlightenment.

True, though my point is more they found origins in the Enlightenment period, which birthed Italian and German Nationalism, though the actual reunification's were movement's of the Romantic Era.

But yeah, this question is perplexing. The Enlightenment happened pretty much everywhere in Europe.
 
Top