Art, Science and the Mind

Jean-Pierre Changeux is a renowned French neurobiologist who proposes a new look at the Age of Enlightenment. He states that science usually follows the times, but in the case of the Age of Enlightenment, he says science did the opposite, and laid the foundation for change.

In this lecture presented by UCSD, Jean-Pierre Changeux looks at how the scientific method of Newton led to new ethical values. These values had an influence on art, science and the mind, and ultimately helped lead to the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and other groundbreaking works of philosophy.

Changeux argues that relationships like that of scientist Gabrielle-Emilie Du Chatelet and philosopher Voltaire, helped spawn the debate between scientists and philosophers worldwide. It was this new value of reason, which began with Newton, that pushed human society to appreciate new concepts of freedom, democracy and fraternity.

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