The Enlightenment
From Europe Onward
The Enlightenment, which was also referred to as the Age of Reason, was a series of philosophical shifts that started in Europe and later spread to North America during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The aim was to illuminate and improve upon human intellect and culture after the "dark" Middle Ages. Characteristics of the Enlightenment include the rise of reason, liberty, and the scientific method. The Enlightenment philosophies were skeptical of the accuracy and power exerted by religion - especially the Catholic Church. Enlightened thinkers were also critical of monarchies and aristocracies. The Enlightenment philosophy was heavily utilized in the French and American revolutions and constitutions. It followed the Scientific Revolution in the early 17th century.
The Scottish Enlightenment
Edinburgh specifically was referred to as a "hotbed of genius." In 1762, Voltaire wrote that "today it is from Scotland that we get rules of taste in all the arts from epic poetry to gardening."
The Scottish Enlightenment was a movement of ideas and the disputation of those ideas. There were cultural advancements coming from a variety of different areas, such as architecture, literature, education, visual art, and the sciences.
An important element of enlightenment thinking in Scotland was the growing skepticism of old ideals and the development of rationalism. Rationalism led thinkers to develop methods through which truth could be deduced and proven, instead of drawn from spirituality like in earlier times. Additionally, researchers were drawn to empirical methods of inquiry, which stressed finding concrete evidence to draw conclusions from.
Left Behind by Progress
If such incredible advancements were taking place throughout other parts of Scotland, why was Janet Horne convicted of witchcraft? At the same time as places like Edinburgh were questioning religion, people in Dornoch were still allowing it to dictate who lives and who dies.
People in Dornoch were late to receive the benefits of the Enlightenment due to their rural setting and economic status. The Enlightenment was followed by the Industrial Revolution and the cities were already beginning to develop new ways to make a living. This curiosity allowed people to be more open to new ideas in their culture and mindset as well. In contrast, people in Dornoch were barely getting by and economically focused entirely on agriculture. Additionally, the people of Dornoch were very poor and more concerned about their next meal than the cultural developments going on nearby. Therefore, they were not immediately privy to the changes in society because their way of life and means meant that it made more sense for rural people to continue living as they had been before, rather than explore the expanding options available in more affluent, urban areas.
Thoughts from Rona Munro (playwright) about The Enlightenment
Rona Munro: You couldn't just shout, "She's a witch, burn her" - it had to be brought up at Kirk Session, then it had to go the Sheriff Court, and after that, because it was a capitol offence, it had to go to the High Court in Edinburgh, then the Privy Council. You weren't allowed under law to accuse someone of being a witch and try them until it had gone that far. What's interesting about this case was that it didn't go past the Sheriff Court.
Although the principles of the Enlightenment had yet to touch Dornoch in a large way, the fact that this was happening in 1727 instead of earlier in history meant that there were many more hoops to jump through. The bureaucracy itself is more complicated than it was before but still allows people to be punished for witchcraft.
Rona Munro: If you look at the Enlightenment, it's all clean lines, and sharp stone columns, and people gazing into a bright clear future where everything is going to be quantified and man will be master of his own fate. But look at the period before the Enlightenment and people tend to say, "At the end of the day, there is nothing you can do because some thing are beyond our control." And I feel that's the period we're going back to. The certainties of the Enlightenment are no longer our certainties.
The fact that other parts of the world have moved forward makes this event even more ironic and tragic. However, it also reminds us how terminally close we are to barbarism, no matter how far we believe we've come.
Rona Munro: What's important to remember is that Scotland was a well-educated country yet even lawyers believed in the supernatural at this point. it wasn't ignorant peasants running around with torches. Janet Horne was unforunate. The law making witchcraft illegal was repealed in 1736. If they had left her alone for another nine years she would have been alright. Her case happens in a period of immense transition.
There is the capacity for cruelty in us always, it just depends on what our society says is acceptable to express at the time. The early 18th century is an interesting time period because certain parts of the world have decided that witch trials are too barbaric while others don't.