The Reading Revolution: Books and the Enlightenment Public

The reading revolution of the eighteenth century was one of the most important cultural developments of the Enlightenment. The rise of the reading public, the growth of the print industry, and the development of new forms of literature and periodical publication transformed the cultural life of Europe and made possible the dissemination of the new ideas on an unprecedented scale. This article examines the reading revolution, including the rise of the reading public, the growth of print culture, and the impact on the Enlightenment.

The Rise of the Reading Public

The eighteenth century saw a dramatic expansion of the reading public in Europe. The expansion was the result of several factors.

The first factor was the rise in literacy. The eighteenth century saw significant increases in literacy in most European countries, the result of the gradual spread of public education, the influence of religious instruction, and the increasing demand for skilled workers in the commercial and industrial economy. By the end of the century, literacy rates in many parts of Western Europe were approaching or exceeding fifty percent of the adult population.

The second factor was the growth of the urban centers. The eighteenth century saw the continued growth of the major European cities, and the cities were the principal centers of the new reading public. The coffeehouses, the salons, the Masonic lodges, and the various other urban institutions provided the social context in which reading could flourish.

The third factor was the increase in disposable income. The eighteenth century saw a significant increase in the disposable income of the middle classes, and the increased income was used in part for the purchase of books, periodicals, and other reading materials. The book trade expanded rapidly, and the major European cities were soon home to a large and active book trade.

The Growth of Print Culture

The growth of the reading public was accompanied by a dramatic expansion of the print industry. The number of books published in Europe increased dramatically over the course of the century, and the variety of books available to the reading public increased as well.

The most important development was the rise of the periodical press. The eighteenth century saw the establishment of hundreds of new periodicals, ranging from scholarly journals to popular magazines. The periodicals provided a forum for the discussion of the new ideas, and they helped to create a national and international public for the new philosophy.

The other important development was the rise of the novel. The eighteenth century saw the development of the modern novel as a major literary form, with the works of Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, and many other writers. The novel was a form that was particularly suited to the exploration of the inner lives of individuals, and it became an important vehicle for the dissemination of the new ideas about human nature and the moral life.

The Impact on the Enlightenment

The reading revolution had a profound impact on the Enlightenment.

The first impact was the dissemination of the new ideas. The expansion of the reading public made possible the dissemination of the new ideas on a scale that had never been possible before. The works of the leading thinkers of the Enlightenment were read by a much wider audience than had been possible in earlier centuries, and the new ideas became a part of the general culture of Europe.

The second impact was the creation of a public for the new ideas. The expansion of the reading public created a public that was interested in the new ideas and that was willing to discuss them in the coffeehouses, the salons, and the various other venues of public discussion. The new public was an important precondition for the political impact of the new ideas, and the political revolutions of the late eighteenth century were in significant part the result of the existence of this new public.

The third impact was the development of new forms of writing. The expansion of the reading public encouraged the development of new forms of writing that were accessible to a wider audience. The philosophical dictionary, the essay, the popular treatise, the various other forms of writing that were developed in the eighteenth century were all designed to make the new ideas accessible to a wide audience.

The fourth impact was the internationalization of the intellectual life. The expansion of the reading public, combined with the development of the international book trade, made possible the internationalization of the intellectual life. The works of the leading thinkers of the Enlightenment were translated into the major European languages, and the new ideas became a part of the international intellectual culture.

The Censorship and the Book Trade

The reading revolution took place in the context of an extensive system of censorship, and the various authorities attempted to control the dissemination of the new ideas through the censorship of books and periodicals.

The censorship was not, however, entirely effective. The book trade developed a number of strategies for evading the censorship, including the publication of works in foreign countries and the smuggling of forbidden books across national boundaries. The system of international copyright was also an important factor in the dissemination of the new ideas, since the publication of a work in one country made it available for translation and republication in other countries.

The most important example of the international book trade was the publication of the French philosophes in the other European countries. The works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, and the other French philosophes were translated into English, German, Italian, Spanish, and the other major European languages, and the new ideas became a part of the international intellectual culture.

The Lasting Influence

The reading revolution of the eighteenth century has had a lasting influence on the cultural life of the modern world. The development of the modern book trade, the rise of the periodical press, the development of the modern novel, and the various other features of the modern print culture draw on the central arguments of the reading revolution.

The reading revolution has also had a lasting influence on the development of modern political culture. The creation of a wide reading public, the development of new forms of writing that were accessible to the public, the internationalization of the intellectual life — all of these are descendants of the reading revolution, and all of them have had an important influence on the development of modern democratic politics.

Further Reading

• Robert Darnton, The Literary Underground of the Old Regime (1982)
• Darrin McMahon, Enlightenment Contested (2006)
• Daniel Roche, The Enlightenment in the West (2010)