Course of Popular Lectures
Frances Wright wrote the Course of Public Lectures to address the egregious grievances that were practiced during her time. Published in 1829, the topics covered in these lectures ranged from religion and morality to more pertinent topics of slavery and sexism.
Overview
Wright orated these lectures in cities across the United States; including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and several more. In the preface, Wright addresses the People of the United States as her audience, giving them permission to “examine…judge…adopt…or to discard the views” set forth in her work ([1]).
As a social-reformer, Wright’s main objective was to, “[attempt] reform by means of instructional improvement” (Course of Popular Lectures). In order to accomplish her goal, Wright had to persuade the populace to renounce the view of the majority in exchange for, what she called, the truth. In her own words, Wright said, “I have…applied myself to develop what is true [rather] than to expose what is false” ([2]). It is through these lectures that Wright concentrated her vast experience and wealth of knowledge in an effort to provoke social change in the United States.
Although today Wright is well-recognized for her courageous efforts as well as her early advancements towards social equality, she was not well received during her time. With slavery being a large part of the South’s culture, as well as a considerably profitable enterprise, it is no surprise that Wright’s views were not met without rebuttal and/or a refusal to listen. Due to Wright’s indomitable perseverance, her work has continued to inspire generations in the pursuit of truth in the context of a social society.
Contents
In the Course of Popular Lectures, Frances Wright focused primarily on seven topics she felt were critical to address. Separated into seven ‘lectures’, the topics are found in her book in the order that follows:
Lectures I-III
- On the nature of knowledge
- Of free inquiry, considered as a means of obtaining just knowledge
- Of the more important divisions and essential parts of knowledge
The first three lectures focus on knowledge in the epistemological sense. Wright begins by acknowledging that all men, from savage to statesmen, will practice and preach what they hold to be true without regard for their potential ignorance. In other words, men believe that what they think is true, is indeed true solely based on the fact that they are the ones believing it. Wright cites ignorance being the greatest contributor to this logical fallacy. From here, Wright explains her conception of knowledge by explaining, “[knowledge is] what there is for us to know, the means we possess for acquiring such knowledge as is of possible attainment…and to seek in our knowledge the test of our opinions” ([3]).
In general, Wright posits that the knowledge we accumulate takes two distinct forms: knowledge that is taught and knowledge that is accumulated through experience. The knowledge that is taught to us is not necessarily known. To her, a more appropriate word for this type of information would be belief. This is in contrast to the form of knowledge that we know from our direct experience. Wright says that this kind of knowledge is more accurate because it comes from our own experience; therefore, it is more familiar to us. Wright summarizes by saying that, “Knowledge signifies things known” ([4]).
Lectures IV-V
- Religion
- Morals
In the following two lectures, Wright examines her conception of knowledge in relation to religion and morality. As stated in Lectures I-III, Wright posits that knowledge implies that things are known; therefore, for any subject to have truth, it must be built on empirical foundations. Wright sees religion, as a subject, lacking on these factual foundations.
To provide clarity to her readers, Wright attempts to outline what she deems an appropriate subject, or science, containing truth. In the beginning, Wright acknowledges that there must be facts that are known through our experience and direct observation. With these empirical foundations, Wright explains that we have our premises from which we can build an appropriate science. Without these factual premises, the science would be built on false foundations. Wright compares this to building a castle in the air.
Religion, to Wright, is a science built on false foundations. With much disagreement among people as to the appropriate practices of religion, the falsehood of religion should be evident. If religion were built on empirical foundations, Wright suggests the truth should be evident and there would be no disagreements therefore. Furthermore, Wright explains that the mere fact that the knowledge gained through religion is primarily belief, as opposed to experiential knowledge, exposes religion’s falsehood.
Lectures VI-VII
- Opinions
- On existing evils and their remedy
Wright begins the last two lectures by critiquing the role that opinions have played in our history. She begins by suggesting that an appropriate and mature understanding of opinions could have prevented many of the problems that were being faced during her time. Again, Wright cites ignorance as the greatest contributor to error.
Anger, Wright suggests, is an unwarranted, but often felt emotion in response to differing opinions. To solve this problem, Wright explains that an individual receiving the opinion must simply inquire as to what facts the opinion was derived. From there, the individual can determine whether the opinion is true or false. Neither of these results should spur hostility or anger. From this position, Wright continues on to explain how the existing evils, such as slavery and sexism, had come into existence. She explains these grievances in relation to her conception on knowledge as well as her position on opinions.
Citations
Wright, Frances. Course of Popular Lectures as Delivered by Frances Wright in New York, Philadelphia and Other Cities of the United States. With Three Addresses on Public Occasions, and a Reply to the Charges against the French Reformers of 1789. New York: G.W. & A.J. Matsell, 1829. Print.
Lane, Margaret. Frances Wright and the "great Experiment." Manchester: Manchester UP, 1972. Print.