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Monarchism, Religion, and Moral Philosophy Ludvig Holberg and the Early Northern Enlightenment

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Monarchism, Religion, and Moral Philosophy Ludvig Holberg and the Early Northern Enlightenment Monarchism, Religion, and Moral Philosophy Ludvig Holberg and the Early Northern Enlightenment Brian Kjær Olesen Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute Florence, 22 April 2016 ii European University Institute Department of History and Civilization Monarchism, Religion, and Moral Philosophy Ludvig Holberg and the Early Northern Enlightenment Brian Kjær Olesen Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of History and Civilization of the European University Institute Examining Board Prof. Martin van Gelderen (EUI/ Lichtenberg-Kolleg, The Göttingen Institute for Advanced Studies, Supervisor) Prof. Ann Thomson (EUI, Second reader) Prof. Knud Haakonssen (University of Erfurt) Dr. Timothy Stanton (University of York) © Brian Kjær Olesen, 2016 No part of this thesis may be copied, reproduced or transmitted without prior permission of the author Researcher declaration to accompany the submission of written work Department of History and Civilization - Doctoral Programme I Brian Kjær Olesen certify that I am the author of the work Monarchism, Religion, and Moral Philosophy: Ludvig Holberg and the Early Northern Enlightenment I have presented for examination for the Ph.D. at the European University Institute. I also certify that this is solely my own original work, other than where I have clearly indicated, in this declaration and in the thesis, that it is the work of others. I warrant that I have obtained all the permissions required for using any material from other copyrighted publications. I certify that this work complies with the Code of Ethics in Academic Research issued by the European University Institute (IUE 332/2/10 (CA 297). The copyright of this work rests with its author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This work may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. This authorisation does not, to the best of my knowledge, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that this work consists of 173,317 words. Statement of inclusion of previous work: I confirm that chapter 3 draws upon an earlier article I published: Brian Kjær Olesen, ‘Entangled Positions: From Comparative and Transnational History to Histories of Possible Meaning’, Zeitenblicke 12:1 (2013). Statement of language correction: This thesis has been corrected for linguistic and stylistic errors. I certify that I have checked and approved all language corrections, and that these have not affected the content of this work. Signature and date: Brian Kjær Olesen 30/03-2016 v vi Abstract This thesis deals with the thought of Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) from the perspective of intellectual history; its aim, to think about the enlightenment anew. The historical problem, to which the thesis offers an answer, is twofold. What was the nature of Holberg’s thought in relation to the enlightenment and how can it be said to have constituted an early Northern enlightenment more specifically? To the extent that we can talk historically of a specific early Northern enlightenment, it cannot, of course, be reduced to the case of Holberg. Yet, this thesis argues that any proper understanding of the question whether there was a particular early Northern enlightenment, as one amongst a multitude of enlightenments, must necessarily begin from an understanding of the thought of Holberg, the most prominent writer in the early eighteenth century. Describing Holberg as an eclectic thinker, the main argument of the thesis is that the early Northern enlightenment is best understood in light of Holberg’s engagement with a wide range of intellectual traditions, both secular and religious. Thus, the thesis aims to reconstruct the trajectories of Holberg’s thought and to situate his thinking about monarchism, religion, and moral philosophy in relation to a broader range of European enlightenments. It aims to show that the key to understanding the early Northern enlightenment is to be found in the connection between the thought of Ludvig Holberg and the multiple enlightenments with which he was engaged. In addressing such issues, the thesis sets an essentially revisionist agenda: the enlightenment of Holberg is best understood as an eclectic blend of Lutheranism, Arminianism, and modern natural law. vii viii Contents Abstract vii Acknowledgements xi Conventions xiii Introduction • Enlightenment Controversies 1 Enlightenments and Religions 6 On Sources and Methods of Interpretation 15 Narrating the Early Northern Enlightenment 21 Chapter 1 • The Enlightenments of Ludvig Holberg: Life, Works, and Contexts 25 A Man of Letters and the Grand Tour 26 Natural Law and Moral Philosophy 31 History, the University, and the Rise of Pietism 38 The Republic of Letters and the State of Learning 45 The Construction of an Enlightenment Ethos 52 Chapter 2 • The Monarchical Moment: Protestant Horizons and the Rise of Danish Absolutism 55 Monarchia Mixta and the Rise to Revolt 58 The Monarchical Revolution 74 Monarchism and Christian Political Thought 81 Religious Toleration and Religious Conformity 92 The Emergence of an Early Enlightenment Culture 102 Chapter 3 • Liberty, Monarchy, and the Common Good: Enlightenment Theories of Monarchism 105 Moral Theology, Eclecticism, and the History of Morality 109 Sociability and Sovereignty 121 History, Monarchy, and Republicanism 130 Liberty, Monarchism, and Despotism 140 Patriotism and the Intrinsic Problem of Despotism 153 Liberty and Authority in Early Enlightenment Thought 161 Chapter 4 • Philosophy, Duty, and Sociability: Enlightenment Interpretations of Civil Society 165 Staging the Enlightenment 169 Sociability, Duty, and Character 180 Meritocracy and Gender Equality 186 Fashion, Decorum, and Reputation 193 Philosophy, Learning, and the Republic of Letters 197 Liberty of the Press, Censorship, and Public Criticism 207 Enlightenment, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Society 213 ix Chapter 5 • Enlightenment against Fanaticism: Religious Conformity, Pietist Dissent, and Sincere Belief 215 Lutheran Foundations – Protestant Enlightenments 218 Ecclesiastical History, Orthodox Lutheranism, and Papal Tyranny 224 Religious Dissent and the Politics of Pietism 232 Christian Freedom and Sincere Belief 237 Enlightenment and Enthusiasm 245 Towards a Theory of Religious Toleration 248 Chapter 6 • Toleration, Doubt, and the Fundamental Articles of Faith: The Religious Enlightenment 251 Toleration in the Early Enlightenment 254 Doubt, Enquiry, and Reasonable Belief 261 Natural Religion and the Fundamental Articles of Faith 269 Freedom of the Will and the Goodness of God 277 Reason and Revelation 284 Toleration, Persecution, and Intolerance 293 Reasonable Belief and the Duty of Toleration 300 Conclusions and Perspectives • The Burdens of History, or Why Enlightenment Matters 303 The Early Northern Enlightenment in European Context 306 Normative Enlightenments 310 The Burdens of History, or Why Enlightenment Matters 313 Bibliography 315 Primary Literature 315 Secondary Literature 324 x Acknowledgements This dissertation has its early beginning in December 2009, when I, as an undergraduate student at Odense, was writing an essay on late eighteenth-century Danish political thought. Originally conceived as a study of eighteenth-century Scandinavian conceptions of liberty, my research slowly turned into a study of monarchism, religion and moral philosophy in the early Northern enlightenment, focusing on the Danish-Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg. First of all, I should like to thank my supervisor, Martin van Gelderen, for his encouragements and critiques as well as his interest in my research. It is largely due to Martin that I first came to appreciate the role of religion in early modern political thought – a topic which continues to inspire my attention. I should like, moreover, to express my gratitude to my second reader, Ann Thomson, for her comments and suggestions, and for sharing with me her knowledge on enlightenment, religion, and the long eighteenth century. I should also like to thank Jorge Flores, who was my second reader during my first years in Florence. Furthermore, I owe my gratitude to Knud Haakonssen and Timothy Stanton, whose comments and criticisms have helped me to improve my thesis, my arguments and interpretations, on a number of issues. Whilst working on this dissertation I have benefitted greatly from conversations, comments, invitations to conferences, and other intellectual exchanges with a number of scholars. First, I would like to give my thanks to Anne Magnussen and Michael Bregnsbo for writing letters of recommendation, when I decided to apply for the Doctoral Programme at the European University Institute in January 2010, and to Nils Arne Sørensen for encouraging me to apply, when I first found out that I could. Throughout my time in Florence, Michael has never ceased to show me his support, and for that I thank him. I should also like to thank (in no particular order) Anthony J. La Vopa, Laszlo Kontler, Xavier Gil, Pavel Kolář, Antonella Romano, Heinz-Gerhard Haupt, Stéphane van Damme, Hans Erich Bödeker, Dominik Hünniger, Jyotirmaya Sharma, Karin Tilmans, Jeppe Nevers, Rasmus Glenthøj, Finn Stendal Pedersen, Karen Skovgaard-Petersen, Lone Kølle Martinsen, Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen, Ditlev Tamm, Mihail Larsen, Stefan Nygård, Petri Koikkalainen, Rolv Nøtvik Jakobsen, and Ola Mestad. A special mention is due to the small group of friends and colleagues with whom I have
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