The Travel Books of Enlightenment

Abstract

The travel books of the Enlightenment are a revision of the image of the Oversea drawn up in the period of Discoveries. The travel books of the Discoveries note that the indigenous live in complete lawlessnes and as their law they have sexual rules. They state that these tribes live as beasts and doubt whether they are humans at all. The travel books of the discoveries are inclined to the opinion that the oversea aboriginals live following the law of nature and are therefore wiser than we are. Some travel books describe Siam and China comparing them with Europe and comparing Buddhism with Christendom, both according to religious faiths and theological doctrines. It is always the spirit of criticism and comparation which is the mark of these books. Other books as the books by the brothers Ulloa describe Spanish colonialism and the evangelisation of the aboriginals which did not achieve its aim. James Cook developed a new pattern of behavior towards the aboriginals. His behaviour is benevolent, his helps them with distributions of seeds, flocks and even tools but keeps on bord of his ship fire arms which grant him superiority, a pattern of behavior which can be considered a mark of English colonialism and English behavior towards the rest of the world. Russian travel books are marked by a spirit of militarism and etatism, the Russians made endeavours to penetrate into China, or to compel the natives of eastern Siberia to pay taxes. An image of Man and of the animist emerge out of these travel books and we see that the animist society does know marriage, but only the concubinate. Children are rare, humans are sacrificed and fallen foes also eaten. The endeavours to christianaize them mostly failed. These travel books reveal the importance and influence of the Oversea for Europe and of Europe for the Oversea. Antonine de Bougainville drew up a new type of sexual behaviour influenced by the sexual life of the aboriginals. He pointed out to Europeans that what we call nowadays sexual permissivenes. His suggestions became a firm flashpoint for all leftist mouvements up to now. The travel books excrced a strong influence on literature and that can be noted in the case of Jonathan Swift, some travel books became akin to biographies as the book by James Boswell Journal o f a Tour to the H ebrides w ith Sam uel Johnson. One can say that the travel book of the Englightenment let in philosophy and statemanship, criticism of the colonial administration. It flattened the self confidence of Europeans and created a new view of the world which was described as an misunderstanding of Europe and its colonies. Europe became well aware of its abuses, administrative and economic misconduct in the Oversea. The travel books on Italy proliferated. In Austrian travel books we note a strong propensity towards popularism which also happens in the German travel books for instance in the Lügengeschichte, which was the book on Baron Miinhausen. German travel books and precisely Goethe explores the relationship of nature and arts. In his late travel books Goethe inventarizes the threasuries of the nation in cultural and scentific achievements, universities etc. In his travel books we note a propensity towards autobiographism which is a mark of the Enlightenment.