Age of Enlightenment and possibly other Cultural epoc's

Reading the latest issue of Skalk, Danish bi-monthly on Archeology, History and Cultural History there's an article that made me think about our perception of the Age of Enlightenment and possibly other Cultural epoc's - Renaisance etc.

What triggered me was the article on the Danish 1792 Porcelain production of Flora Danica tableware. The author, Inspector of the Royal Collection, try to dig deeper into the history of the tableware as a rumoured gift to Empress Catharine the Great of Russia and dismiss this as an unsubstantiated but unprovable newsstory of the time.

Part of the tableware which was soon removed were a number of figures of the various Danish lands in local costume signalling the real resource of the Nation - humans with experience of working with Nature to develop benefits from it - part of the tableware distributed was books with the drawings of the Danish Natural plants - flowers weeds trees bushes etc. - with a form to be filled with the experiences of the locals shown the pics of their experience of working with said plants to be returned to Government and scientists to be brought into play.

Author also relate that the Age of Enlightenment was an Epoch of History culminating during the 1700's; the Epoch is charactarized by firm belief of Humankind born free but also delivered into a World that GOD had made for mankind. Through knowledge systematics and use should the World and Nature be subjected to mankind. By charting unification and use Nature would deliver prosperity and advancement - and thereby order of Natural chaos would be acheived.

I am inclined to think that the second part of this definition of Age of Enlightenment isn't thought of or realized as of today! However looking up an English version on Wiki this differs from this Danish version probably due to Denmark being an autocratic Kingdom and the English of course being much more civilized and perceptive of ages to be (or an influenze of todays line of thought) - the page is just all about personal freedom! What utter rubbish.

The deeper idea about this thread is the use and direction of information from the past when writing a TL. Things will seldom be viewed in the light of todays Enlightened Worldview of total personal freedom (except in English lands (sorry couldn't help myself ))

What I'm saying there's a little more to writing of times past than just trying to get into the mood of say 1940's which I tried in Denmark ISOT from 1940 to 1864 which TL on AHcom earned me a few comments on racism by readers not understanding the mindset of 1940's peoples. (easy now no warnings received)

At least I'll try adjusting my mind a little more in future writings as to mindset of era worked in but can't make any guarantees.