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Dijkman, Jessica and Bas van Leeuwen. 2019. An Economic History of Famine Resilience. Oxfordshire, U.K.: Routledge.
This book combines a selection of interesting essays and articles that tell the history of famine and resistance to it in Europe since the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. Its authors acknowledge that famines have been frequent in the past of the continent, becoming one of the leading causes of pain and suffering. Furthermore, they often followed other dire pages of history, such as wars and natural disasters. In several essays included in the book, experts and researchers address people’s perspective on the suffering of others. It is highly valuable to examine the reaction of the European population to lasting hungers in adjacent countries. Some actively aided the people in need, whereas others remained indifferent as long as the catastrophe did not affect themselves. The book embeds a variety of perspective that shows the evolution of social reaction to famine as the leading cause of suffering in the European history.
Ibbett, Katherine. 2018. Compassion’s Edge: Fellow-Feeling and Its Limits in Early Modern France. Philadelphia, PA.: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Terrors and disasters always accompanied the development of humanity, and Early Modern Europe is not an exception. In this regard, the focus of this book is not on the pain itself but on the reaction of the people. The work by Katherine Ibbett is concentrated on France as one of the most developed nations of the time. The author’s interests lie in the area of compassion and fellow-feeling that mean understanding the pain of others and attempting to soothe it. The book shows the inconsistencies in social reaction to suffering, which often caused alienation and isolation. This data can confirm that there was not a well-established framework of compassion in the Early Modern period of the European history. The topic itself is of high importance to the discussion, as it introduces a new dimension to it that goes beyond the constatation of pain and suffering.
De Jesus Dias Martins, Mauricio and Nicolas Baumard. 2020. “The Rise of Prosociality in Fiction Preceded Democratic Revolutions in Early Modern Europe”. PNAS 117 (46).
Literature has been one of the central cultural elements of most civilizations since the beginning of humanity. In this article, its authors analyze the trends that existed in European fiction during the Early Modern period. They argue that this era is characterized by a rise of pro-social themes and a focus on the people in literature. This is opposed to authoritarian and militant views that used to be found in different works before and after this period. It is theorized that such a shift is caused by an increasing attention to the suffering of others that resulted from wars, famines, and natural disasters across Europe. Such a direction of research is relevant for the discussion as it is related to the concept of compassion discussed in other sources. Furthermore, the authors draw connections between pro-social interests and the rise of revolutionary movements in Europe at the end of the Early Modern period.
Slezak, Peter P. 2018. “Is There Progress in Philosophy? The Case for Taking History Seriously”. Philosophy 93 (4): 529-555.
There is a strong need to review the philosophical side of the subject. More specifically, it is interesting to examine not only the pain of the people and its causes but also the reaction to it on behalf of society. Philosophy is considered to be the instrument that shapes the minds of communities and teaches them how to perceive the surrounding reality. The work by Peter P. Slezak is highly important to establish a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of philosophy across the history of humanity. During different eras, the prevailing convictions of the people varied, as well. Slezak states that the development of philosophy has remained in line with social, political, and natural occurrences. Thus, it is important to see the philosophical response to the pain and suffering of the people, as well as the way in which it shaped the societal reaction.
Gluchman, Vasil. 2021. “Leibniz’s and Herder’s Philosophy of Optimism”. Ethics & Bioethics 11 (1-2): 37-47.
When it comes to philosophy, a variety of views appears, often introducing opposing perspective on different matters. In relation to people’s suffering in Early Modern Europe, the philosophical teachings of optimists are some of the most interesting examples. Vasil Gluchman introduces key points of this model that is mostly associated with the name of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. As per the optimists, people live in the best of all possible worlds, and God’s benevolence accompanies every event. In simpler terms, everything happens for a good reason provided by higher powers. Gluchman states that optimism had a strong effect on the social thought of the 18th century and affected the subsequent development of philosophy. This movement is interesting in the context of the present research. It is possible that it served to justify even the most extreme suffering of the people by attributing to a higher, mysterious plan that is unknown to humans. Thus, it is important to see how it correlated with society-oriented aspirations of the time.
Daeley, Justin J. 2021. Why God Must Do What Is Best: A Philosophical Investigation of Theistic Optimism. London, U.K.: Bloomsbury Publishing.
The tenets of the optimist philosophy deserve additional investigation because they strongly affected the perception of pain and suffering in Early Modern Europe. The book by Justing J. Daeley is a valuable source of detailed information on this subject. Most interestingly, it is dedicated to the theistic perspective and the search for higher meaning in suffering. As per the author, it served to provide meaning to the pain of others, which often affected people’s compassion in a negative way. Daeley emphasizes the fact that Early Modern European society remained highly religious, which is why physical suffering could be disregarded in favor of spiritual salvation. This would explain many instances of questionable societal response to the pain of others. In fact, it became one of the reasons for the criticism against optimism that emerged after several disastrous occurrences in Europe. This book objectively reviews theistic optimism as one of the leading social philosophies of the time, substantiating the discussion.
Caro, Hernan D. 2020. “The Best of All Possible Worlds? Leibniz’s Philosophical Optimism and Its Critics 1710-1755”. Brill’s Studies in Intellectual History 322.
This particular source continues to review the tenets of Leibniz’s optimism as an important philosophical movement of the Early Modern period. Most interestingly, it focuses on the critique of its ideas of the best of all possible worlds. While optimism determined the views of many European citizens at this time, it also had considerable opposition from other philosophers and people of art. Caro refers to these people, who were mostly inspired by the pain and suffering of others. Optimists justified these terrors by God’s will, but critical thinkers, like Voltaire, thought that it was not the correct way. For them, it was important to attract the attention of the public to this suffering and demand actual help rather than prayers and consolations. Such a critical perspective on the subject will help with diverse opinions in research.
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