2. Moliere, as mentioned in the prompt, provides perhaps some of the best example of the ubiquitous satire of the socioeconomic elite. In his plays, he depicts elitist characters as hypocritical and out-of-touch with society at large. This was possible because, for some reason, the elite actually enjoyed his plays, grasping full well the jokes made at their expense. Because enlightened despots such as Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, and Joseph II of Austria were at the helms of many European powerhouses, Enlightenment artists and philosophers were commissioned often for their work whereas at a different time they would have been censored, banished, or hanged for their heresy. Philosophers, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Locke, were all getting a lot of attention because they began using similar methods their scientific counterparts such as Newton gained recognition for: namely, individualistic thought and using science as a practical tool in daily life. These philosophers were even housed in residence at the courts of the enlightened despots. Others were advisors to these leaders via letter correspondence. The Enlightenment thinkers and artists were able to popularize their opinions even more through the growing industries of pamphlets and journals. It is ironic that these philosophers and writers bit the hand that fed them often and repeatedly for that was the very nature of their art. In the end, because they got so much support from the elite, and were often part of the elite themselves, these Enlightenment personalities managed to spread the light to the rest of the world.
Fedor Kossakovski, John Farnworth, Charles Salumbides, Justin Cornford
Mrs. Wylie, Period 5, Team 1 (HAM)
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