Reaction to being enlightened on the Enlightenment

I've always been fascinated by periods of drastic social change and separation from the societal norm, especially when those changes continue to affect us today. The Enlightenment period had this brand of long lasting change. During this time, there was a dramatic shift from religion to reason and logic. Art and culture was opened up to the middle class and changed to accommodate this new audience. Opera switched from the Baroque style to a style relatable to the middle class. Had music and theater not switched from being aristocracy based to being middle class based as well, most of the music we enjoy today would not exist. There would be no folk music, made by ordinary people, there would be no iPods so everyone can have music on the go, and I certainly would not have my headphones in right now, listening to my favorite music. These would be liberties only upper class persons could enjoy. Walking through New York City, there would be no street performers with an open guitar case in front of them, there would be no Ithaca Porchfest, and the man playing guitar outside on campus the other day would probably not own it, let alone know how to play. It astounds me something that happened so long ago, forgotten by a great deal of people, still affects everyone, every day.

The Enlightenment period was also the first glimpse of feminism. In the Intro. to Women's Studies class I'm currently taking, we, of course, discuss feminism and issues related to women. However, we haven't discussed the Enlightenment period. Evidence of feminism during this time is present in the "Enlightenment Ideas and Quotes" sheet we received; in this, the quotes use "everyone" and "people," rather than "man" or "he." The quotes are careful to be all inclusive, which seems to be a concept we've lost since then. Even the Declaration of Independence, which was based off Enlightenment ideals, is not all inclusive; John Locke's "Everyone is born equal" is changed to "All men are created equal." Still today, as we discussed in Intro. to Women Studies, "man" and male pronouns are used in almost all documents, textbooks, research materials, etc. In this limited aspect, Enlightenment thinkers were more advanced than we are today.

The music of this time period is reflective of this shift in societal ideals, as demonstrated in the opera "Don Giovanni." In this, one of the main characters, a woman, is assisted by another woman in her time of need and peasants are recognized and spoken to by a noblemen, Don Giovanni. The simple plot of this opera appeals to the less educated middle class.

All in all, the Enlightenment period had massive, long lasting affects on art, culture, society, and entertainment that still prevail today and continue to change and adjust our society.