Spanish Enlightenment

The Spanish Enlightenment (Spanish: la Ilustración española) was an 18th-century intellectual and cultural movement that was part of the broader Western Enlightenment.

The ideas of the Enlightenment came to Spain with the new Bourbon dynasty, following the death of the last Habsburg monarch, Charles II, in 1700. The period of reform and 'enlightened despotism' under the eighteenth-century Bourbons focused on centralizing the power of the Spanish government, and improvement of infrastructure, beginning with the rule of King Charles III and the work of his minister, José Moñino, count of Floridablanca. In the political and economic sphere, the crown implemented a series of changes, collectively known as the Bourbon reforms, which were aimed at making the overseas Spanish Empire more prosperous to the benefit of Spain.

The Spanish Enlightenment sought the expansion of scientific knowledge, which had been urged by Benedictine monk Benito Feijóo. From 1777 to 1816, the Spanish crown funded scientific expeditions to gather information about the potential botanical wealth of the empire. When Prussian scientist Alexander von Humboldt proposed a self-funded scientific expedition to Spanish America, the Spanish crown accorded him not only permission, but the instructions to crown officials to aid him. Spanish scholars sought to understand the decline of the Spanish empire from its earlier glory days, with the aim of reclaiming its former prestige.

The Spanish Enlightenment influenced the Spanish American Enlightenment to some extent, especially in the early phases of the movement, with elite American-born Spanish men involved in these projects; however, Spanish American Enlightenment ideas became increasingly shaped by local realities and more radical.

The Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian peninsula was enormously destabilizing for Spain and the Spanish overseas empire. The ideas of the Hispanic Enlightenment have been seen as a major contributor to the Spanish American wars of independence, although the situation is more complex.

Historical background

Main article: History of Spain (1700–1808)

The Bourbon family took control of Spain after the last king from the Habsburg family, Charles II, passed away in 1700 without any children to take over. After a big war called the War of the Spanish Succession, the Bourbons began leading Spain. They worked hard to make Spain stronger again after it had become weaker.

During this time, new ideas from the Age of Enlightenment spread to Spain and influenced its colonies in Spanish American Enlightenment. Even though these ideas often went against the church, Spain and its colonies still held strongly to their Roman Catholic beliefs. Later, when French forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and put Napoleon’s brother on the throne, this caused big problems. In response, leaders in Cortes of Cádiz created a new constitution in 1812 to limit the power of the king and the church. However, when King Ferdinand VII returned to power in 1814, he went back to ruling without limits. Meanwhile, many parts of Spain’s colonies in America started fighting for their freedom and became independent countries. Only New Spain (Mexico) and Peru stayed under Spanish rule until 1821 and 1824, respectively. Mexico even tried to keep a monarchy under Agustín de Iturbide before becoming a republic in 1824 under the Constitution of 1824.

Development

The ideas of the French Enlightenment arrived in Spain after the Bourbon dynasty took power in 1715, ending the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain, like much of Europe at the time, did not change its government quickly. The monarchy kept its existing ways of ruling.

One important Spanish figure was Benito Feijóo (1676–1764), a monk and teacher. He was known for sharing ideas that encouraged thinking and learning, helping people understand the world better. He wrote about how Spain needed to focus more on science and learning.

During this time, European kings were taking more control over their countries. In Spain, ideas from the Age of Enlightenment arrived around 1750. These ideas focused on improving health, science, and the country’s strength. French and Italian visitors shared their thoughts, but Spain’s strong religious traditions stayed mostly unchanged.

A key leader was Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, a minister who spoke about studying laws and history. He worried that too much land was owned by rich families and the church, leaving many people without land.

Some historians think King Charles III did not care much about these new ideas. His main goal was to strengthen the monarchy and control over education.

Science and religion

The Enlightenment encouraged learning through science, which sometimes clashed with religious beliefs. The Spanish Inquisition had the power to stop books and ideas it did not like. Even so, many new ideas still reached Spain. Writers like Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Adam Smith were read by clever people in Spain.

A big earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 made people wonder if it was a sign from God or just a natural event.

Scientific expeditions and scientific institutions

The Spanish government sent out many trips to learn about nature and science. Foreign scientists were allowed to explore Spain’s lands. Big trips went to Chile and Peru (1777–88), New Granada (1783–1816), and New Spain (1787–1803). These trips collected many plants and drawings for museums in Madrid. One famous trip was the Malaspina Expedition from 1789 to 1794, led by Alejandro Malaspina. Artists on the trip made many pictures of plants, places, and people. The government also sent a trip in 1804 to help people in its lands stay healthy.

New institutions

Spain created many places to support learning. Early ones included the National Library (1711), Royal Spanish Academy (1713), and the Royal Academy of History (1738). Later, places like the Royal Botanical Gardens (1755) in Madrid were built to hold the plants collected on trips. In Mexico, the School of Mines (1792) was created to learn more about mining silver.

The Archive of the Indies was started in Seville in 1785 to keep important papers about Spain’s lands beyond the sea.

Architecture

Buildings in Spain began to follow a simpler, neoclassical style. The Palacio de Minería in Mexico City was built in this style by architect Manuel Tolsá. Madrid also saw new neoclassical buildings, such as the Prado Museum, designed by Juan de Villanueva.

Literature

Spanish literature from this time was different from the styles before and after it. Important writers included Feijoo and Jovellanos.

Influence on the Spanish American Enlightenment

The Spanish Enlightenment played a big role in shaping the early Spanish American Enlightenment. But, as time went on, thinkers in Spanish America began to explore even more radical and new ideas.