The Enlightenment: The Impact of Reason and Religion upon Health and Fitness in a Period of Urban Growth and Industrialization

Abstract

European Enlightenment philosophers such as Spinoza, Rousseau and Voltaire began to overshadow the traditional teachings of the Church on the meaning of life and the nature of reality. Radical ideas were advanced on the scientific method, health care delivery and medical treatment. Medical Schools remained focused largely upon human anatomy and surgical techniques, but wealthy individuals, working from their own homes or with aristocratic sponsors, made new discoveries in circulatory physiology, respiration and muscular contraction. Occasional physicians accepted this new knowledge, but many clung to familiar remedies such as bleeding and purging, and some advocated bizarre treatments such as electrical shock therapy. Educational philosophers began to grasp the pedagogic value of combining physical and mental activity in the classroom. Some new forms of sport were introduced, but urbanization, industrial mechanization, concerts, operas, theatres, an increased availability of reading matter and the tempting aroma of coffee shops all sowed the seeds of sedentary leisure for city dwellers. In contrast, agricultural practices remained essentially unchanged, and the favourable health impact of such farming methods can still be observed in Old Order Amish who have perpetuated this lifestyle.