Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century
I can explore important contextual ideas that impact Gothic literature, focusing on the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’.
Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century
I can explore important contextual ideas that impact Gothic literature, focusing on the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Enlightenment period represents a philosophical shift in thought, whereby reason and rationale were celebrated.
- There was an emphasis on learning the ‘truth’ about things; people thought this would bring them knowledge and freedom.
- The Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain in the 18th century, and then again in the 19th century.
- Galvanisation is the process of using electricity to try to create life.
- Scientific advancements were contested by religious people, who dismissed them as heresy.
Common misconception
Students often think that scientific advancements have always been celebrated.
In reality, scientists faced a lot of backlash for their ideas, mostly because many of them contradicted the teachings of the Bible.
Keywords
Innovation - the process of coming up with new ideas or inventions
Industrial Revolution - the period in which industries began replacing manpower and physical labour with machinery/technology
The Enlightenment - the period in which people began to value reason and rationale as a means to pursuing truth, knowledge and freedom
Rationale - a set of logical reasons for a belief or idea
Galvanisation - the process of using electricity to try generate life
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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