Education, Science & the Church at Mid-Century

I. New Reading Public

(between 1850-1900 more people than ever before learned to read and write)

• Advances in primary education

a) 1860s on govs assumed

b) focused on

c) WHY?• Voting• Help poor

2. Reading material for the mass audiencea)

b)

c)

d)

e)

II. Science at mid-century

1. Auguste Comte (The Positive Philosophy)

a) argued human thought developed in 3

stages:

1)

2)

3)

b) positive laws of social behavior =

2. Charles Darwina) Origin of the Species (1859)b) natural selection

c) world a realm of

d) The Descent of Man (1871)

This was the biggest blow to human pride since Copernicus’ “sun centered” theory.

3. Herbert Spencer – “Social Darwinism”

a) human society progresses thru _______

and only the ______ survive.

b) coined term

c) used theory to justify

4. Thomas Henry Huxley

a) chief opponent of

b) struggle in nature held no ethical

implications BUT it did show how

humans ______________ behave.

c) Coined term “agnostic” – without

knowledge. Some claims, such as

“God” are simply unknowable.

d) Man WAS related to

III. Christianity & Church Under Siege Intellectual attack on organized Christian

churches based on its:

1. historical credibility

2. scientific accuracy

3. pronounced morality

1. Historical credibility

a) David Friedrich Strauss (Life of Jesus)

b) Questioned

c) Story of Jesus =

d) The Bible, as a book,

2. Scientific accuracy

a) Charles Lyell

b) geology studies indicated

c) natural causes behind

d) Darwin’s theory cast doubt

3. Pronounced morality

a)

b)

c)

d)

e) Morality of the New Testament God:

f) Friedrich Nietzsche

1) Christianity as a religion of sheep that

2) War & courage

3) God is

IV. Conflict b/t Church & State

1. Conflicts

a) liberals disliked

b) nation-states suspicious of

c) education: who should educate?

Church or State?

2. Great Britain

a) Ed Act of 1870

b) Ed Act of 1902

3. France

a)

b)

c)

d)

4. Germany (most extreme ex of church/state conflict)

a) Bismarck felt

b) 1870-1871 secularized

c) “May Laws”

d) police

e) Kulturkampf (cultural struggle)