Reason, Progress, and Shelley's Divergence

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Dive into the complex relationship between Mary Shelley, author of the groundbreaking novel Frankenstein, and the Enlightenment movement personified by her father, the philosopher William Godwin. Often seen as a cautionary tale against unchecked scientific ambition, Frankenstein offers a stark contrast to Godwin's Enlightenment principles championing progress through reason, science, and technology. This video explores William Godwin's foundational ideas on rationalism and societal progress from 'Enquiry Concerning Political Justice', and the Marquis de Condorcet's vision of human advancement driven by science and technology from 'Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Spirit'. Discover the humanist perspective of the Enlightenment, focusing on human capacity and reason, and how Mary Shelley ultimately diverged from these powerful ideas. Explore the philosophy, history, and literature behind Mary Shelley's masterpiece and the age of Enlightenment.

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00:00mary shelley is widely known as the author of frankenstein or the modern prometheus a work

00:09often interpreted as a cautionary tale against unfettered scientific ambition

00:13in contrast her father the philosopher william godwin was a leading figure of the enlightenment

00:20a movement that championed progress through reason science and technology in his 1793 work

00:28inquire concerning political justice and its influence on general virtue and happiness

00:33godwin argued that human reason rather than political upheaval was the true engine of societal

00:39progress he posited that humans possess a unique capacity for self-control particularly over their

00:47passions which enables them to improve society for godwin rationalism was a potent instrument for

00:54forging a future with significantly less human suffering godwin is thus considered one of the

01:00foundational figures of the enlightenment another was the french nobleman and mathematician

01:06the marquis de condorcet a year after godwin's treatise condorcet published sketch for a historical

01:13picture of the progress of the human spirit in this work he predicted boundless human advancement

01:20driven by science and technology suggesting for instance that technology could allow for greater

01:26food production on less land to sustain a growing population and that international trade could

01:32mitigate scarcity the core ideas of godwin and condorcet underpin the humanist perspective of the

01:38enlightenment which held that humans were distinct and capable of shaping their own destiny through reason

01:44free from the absolute dictates of divine or natural authority despite being the daughter of william

01:51godwin and the feminist writer mary wollstonecraft mary shelley ultimately diverged from these enlightenment

01:57principles

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