https://www.facebook.com/gliding.cloud
(For a rephrase in English, please scroll
down)
最近，有一位朋友多次在Facebook上，分享他在 Palo Alto 家附近漫步、路過 Starbuck (星巴克) 的悠閒情境，讓我覺得或許值得提一下以下的資訊。
十八世紀初的西歐社會環境，和今日至少有兩大不同點。一、是君主專制仍然普遍。二、是十六、十七世紀宗教改革所激起的慘烈宗教迫害，遺蕩猶存。不僅羅馬公教與新教之間互相迫害，各新教派別之間也互相迫害。結果動輒成千上萬人戰死、被酷刑、或被綁在火柱上燒死。
十八世紀初，一個新的思潮運動，在西歐的知識份子之間展開。經過將近一世紀的努力，終於停止了君主專制和宗教迫害。這個思潮運動，被後世稱為啟蒙運動 (The Enlightenment)。它的另一個貢獻，是對科學的推動和推崇。著名的覺醒運動成員，有牛頓、富蘭克林、伏爾泰、孟德思鳩、盧梭、亞當史密斯、和康德等等
啟蒙運動的主要醞釀發酵場所，比較大衆化的有兩個。在法國是沙龍 (salon)，在英國和德國則是咖啡屋 (coffee house)。知識份子們在此交換訊息，及進行熱烈的討論。當時的盛況，還激發德國作曲家巴哈，寫作了一部〝咖啡清唱劇 (Coffee Cantata)〞。 今天，我們能在一個政治自由、宗教寬容、科學發達的環境裡，到Starbuck享受香醇的咖啡，三百年前的咖啡屋作了很大的貢獻。
順便提一下一個和啟蒙運動有關，但是比較特殊的社會活動，那就是〝秘密結社〞。其實秘密結社在西方是一個很古老的傳統，從古希臘時期就很興盛，例如一些崇拜酒神 Dionysus的秘密社團。在啟蒙運動時期，秘密社團變成了另一個知識份子交換意見和訊息的場合。 秘密社團通常有很玄妙神秘的入社儀式。另一位德國作曲家莫札特寫了一部歌劇〝魔笛〞，裡面就花了不少場景，來烘托男主角和男配角的入社儀式。 直到今天，歐、美還存在著一個規模不小的秘密社團，叫做 〝Free Masons〞。 據說它的成員，還包含了不少的政治和社會領導人物。
（稍微解釋一下照片標題裡的〝咖啡公豆〞一詞： 通常咖啡一個果實裡，有兩顆咖啡豆，好像一個橢圓球中間被一分為二。但是少數果實裡，只有一顆咖啡豆，比較接近完整的橢圓球。在採收過成中，這樣的咖啡豆常被特別挑出來，分開處理銷售。 英文稱之為〝Peaberry coffee bean〞，中文則給了它一個有趣的名字，叫做〝公豆〞。）
(A rephrase in English)
Lately, a friend several times
shared on Facebook his leisure experience of strolling around his Palo Alto
neighborhood and passing by a Starbuck. This prompted me to ponder
perhaps it is worthwhile sharing the following information.
In early 18th century, the social environment in Western Europe differs from modern one at least in two aspects. First, absolute monarchy was still prevalent. Second, the fervent religious persecution unleashed by Reformation was still rampaging around. The religious persecution took place not only between Protestant and Roman Catholics, but also between different sects of Protestant. Consequently, there are often thousands of people being killed in armed clashes, being tortured, or being burnt on stakes.
Around early 18th century, a new intellectual movement began to brew among learned classes. After the effort of about a century, the movement finally managed to eradicate most absolute monarchies and religious persecution. This intellectual movement is a posteriori called “The Enlightenment”. It had made one additional contribution of advancing and promoting science. Noted members of the Enlightenment include Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Jean-Jack Rousseau, Adam Smith, Denis Diderot, and Emmanuel Kant.
Among the Enlightenment’s several major brewing grounds, two are more accessible to bourgeois class. In France, it was the salon; and, in Great Britain and German-speaking regions, it was the coffee house. The intellectuals gathered in these places to exchange information and to engage in heated debate. The frenzy at coffee houses even inspired German composer J.S. Bach to compose a “Coffee Cantata”.
Today, when we leisurely enjoy the aromatic coffee at Starbuck under an environment of political freedom, religious tolerance, and advanced science, we probably should pay tribute to the counterparts of “Starbuck” 300 years ago.
Also connected to the Enlightenment are the secret societies. Secret society has been deeply ingrained in Western civilization. It had already been quite popular at the time of ancient Greece. A popular example is the Dionysian cult. By the time of the Enlightenment, secret societies rose to serve as another venue for the intellectuals to exchange information and opinion. A salient feature of secret society is its enigmatic initiation rituals. In the opera “Magic Flute” written by another German composer, Mozart, a significant portion is spent on highlighting the initiation rituals of the male protagonist and his companion. Even today, there is still a sizable secret society in Western world, called “Free Masons”. It is said that the society’s members include a significant number of political and social leaders.
十八世紀初的西歐社會環境，和今日至少有兩大不同點。一、是君主專制仍然普遍。二、是十六、十七世紀宗教改革所激起的慘烈宗教迫害，遺蕩猶存。不僅羅馬公教與新教之間互相迫害，各新教派別之間也互相迫害。結果動輒成千上萬人戰死、被酷刑、或被綁在火柱上燒死。
啟蒙運動的主要醞釀發酵場所，比較大衆化的有兩個。在法國是沙龍 (salon)，在英國和德國則是咖啡屋 (coffee house)。知識份子們在此交換訊息，及進行熱烈的討論。當時的盛況，還激發德國作曲家巴哈，寫作了一部〝咖啡清唱劇 (Coffee Cantata)〞。 今天，我們能在一個政治自由、宗教寬容、科學發達的環境裡，到Starbuck享受香醇的咖啡，三百年前的咖啡屋作了很大的貢獻。
（稍微解釋一下照片標題裡的〝咖啡公豆〞一詞： 通常咖啡一個果實裡，有兩顆咖啡豆，好像一個橢圓球中間被一分為二。但是少數果實裡，只有一顆咖啡豆，比較接近完整的橢圓球。在採收過成中，這樣的咖啡豆常被特別挑出來，分開處理銷售。 英文稱之為〝Peaberry coffee bean〞，中文則給了它一個有趣的名字，叫做〝公豆〞。）
(A rephrase in English)
In early 18th century, the social environment in Western Europe differs from modern one at least in two aspects. First, absolute monarchy was still prevalent. Second, the fervent religious persecution unleashed by Reformation was still rampaging around. The religious persecution took place not only between Protestant and Roman Catholics, but also between different sects of Protestant. Consequently, there are often thousands of people being killed in armed clashes, being tortured, or being burnt on stakes.
Around early 18th century, a new intellectual movement began to brew among learned classes. After the effort of about a century, the movement finally managed to eradicate most absolute monarchies and religious persecution. This intellectual movement is a posteriori called “The Enlightenment”. It had made one additional contribution of advancing and promoting science. Noted members of the Enlightenment include Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Jean-Jack Rousseau, Adam Smith, Denis Diderot, and Emmanuel Kant.
Among the Enlightenment’s several major brewing grounds, two are more accessible to bourgeois class. In France, it was the salon; and, in Great Britain and German-speaking regions, it was the coffee house. The intellectuals gathered in these places to exchange information and to engage in heated debate. The frenzy at coffee houses even inspired German composer J.S. Bach to compose a “Coffee Cantata”.
Today, when we leisurely enjoy the aromatic coffee at Starbuck under an environment of political freedom, religious tolerance, and advanced science, we probably should pay tribute to the counterparts of “Starbuck” 300 years ago.
Also connected to the Enlightenment are the secret societies. Secret society has been deeply ingrained in Western civilization. It had already been quite popular at the time of ancient Greece. A popular example is the Dionysian cult. By the time of the Enlightenment, secret societies rose to serve as another venue for the intellectuals to exchange information and opinion. A salient feature of secret society is its enigmatic initiation rituals. In the opera “Magic Flute” written by another German composer, Mozart, a significant portion is spent on highlighting the initiation rituals of the male protagonist and his companion. Even today, there is still a sizable secret society in Western world, called “Free Masons”. It is said that the society’s members include a significant number of political and social leaders.
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