The Enlightenment and the Origins of European Australia

$50.99 (C)

Author: John Gascoigne, University of New South Wales, Sydney

Date Published: December 2005
availability: Available
format: Paperback
isbn: 9780521617215

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Description

This book surveys some of the key intellectual influences in the formation of Australian society by emphasizing the impact of the Enlightenment, with its commitment to rational inquiry and progress. The first part analyzes the political and religious background of the period from the First Fleet (1788) to the mid-nineteenth century. The second demonstrates the pervasiveness of ideas of improvement across a range of human endeavors, from agriculture to education, penal discipline and race relations. Throughout, the book highlights the extent to which developments in Australia can be compared with those in Britain and the U.S.
- Comparative treatment of Australian, US and British themes
- Draws together many of the major themes in Australian colonial history
- Links the historiography of colonial Australia with that of Britain and Europe
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Reviews & endorsements
"...this is an extremely valuable contribution to the literature on colonial Australia and the ideological origins of European expansion more generally, dealing with political issues still pressing in post-colonial societies and setting grounds for future research." Itinerario
"...a stimulating, enjoyable, and accessible contribution to the intellectual history of Australia. Both the author and the publisher are to be congratulated." American Historical Review
"...exhaustively researched and gracefully written...It is a masterly study of how the ideas of Locke, Bentham and Paine suffused the institutions of the colony." London Review of Books
"The book is elegantly produced, with apposite illustrations and a bibliography that rewards both specialist and generalist readers ... a handsome and scholarly book." The International History Review
"...excellent reading for students and scholars alike who want to inform themselves about the influence of the Enlightenment, the improvement ethic, and science in early Australia." Isis
"[A] useful summary of the ideas that influenced the growth of the European settlement in Australia. Recommended." Choice
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Product details
- Date Published: December 2005
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521617215
- length: 248 pages
- dimensions: 245 x 190 x 14 mm
- weight: 0.451kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
List of illustrations
Abbreviations
Preface and Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
Part I. Contexts:
2. Religion
3. Politics
Part II. The Possibilities of Improvement:
4. The earth and its fruits
5. Science and the land
6. Cultivation of the mind
7. Of crimes and punishments
8. Race and the limits of 'improvement'
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index.
Look Inside
Author
John Gascoigne, University of New South Wales, Sydney
John Gascoigne is Associate Professor, School of History, University of New South Wales, Sydney and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
With
Patricia Curthoys