The Spanish Enlightenment and the Intellectuals in the 18th Century

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the intellectual and cultural currents that defined 18th-century Spain, a country deeply influenced by the broader European Enlightenment yet shaped by its own unique political, religious, and social context. This book delves into the lives and works of key Spanish Enlightenment thinkers such as Benito Jerónimo Feijóo, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, and Francisco de Goya, examining their contributions to the realms of science, art, education, and politics. It explores how these figures challenged traditional structures of power, including the monarchy, the Catholic Church, and the aristocracy, and sought to introduce reason, progress, and reform into Spanish society. Through an analysis of their works, along with the political, economic, and cultural environment of the time, the book illuminates the complexities of the Spanish Enlightenment's influence on the nation's development, from its rise to its eventual decline and its lasting legacy in the 19th century. This study offers a nuanced understanding of how Enlightenment ideas reshaped Spain's intellectual landscape, contributing to its gradual transition toward modernity and the emergence of liberal political movements in the years that followed.