In his TED Talk, science writer Steven Johnson attributes the rise of the Enlightenment to the arrival of caffeine in Europe. The idea was, of course, that rather than drinking beverages that slow you down and dull the senses all day, people switched to drinking beverages that were stimulants, and they became both more productive and marginally smarter. The rise of coffee and tea was also accompanied by the rise of coffee houses, which were places for people to exchange ideas (this, of course, also happens at the pub, but we all know that ideas from the pub never sound quite as good the next day and that plans made after several drinks tend to fall through).
Before caffeine it was a different world, especially in Western cultures, it was a different level of consciousness. People were drunk or buzzed a lot because wine was safer than water. Water was contaminated with viruses and diseases.
There’s a lot of evidence to back this up – coffee and tea both require the heating or boiling of water before they can be served, which means that they would kill the same pathogens as alcoholic beverages would. The Enlightenment started around 1685, which was the exact time that both tea and coffee were introduced to the European upper classes.
Supposedly it was discovered in the 9th century by a herd when they noticed that their goats ate a specific kind of berry and would stay up all night. So he started experimenting and made a drink out of it.
Coffee was originally grown in what is now Ethiopia, on the edge of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans, being Muslim, were not drinkers of alcohol, so coffee became one of the Empire’s most popular drinks. During the Middle Ages, the Ottomans were far more advanced than their European neighbors, and this may have had something to do with the fact that the Europeans were three sheets to the wind, while the Ottomans were energized and firing on all cylinders.
One theory is Arab world had coffee first and had a tremendous golden age after it. A historian of psychoactive Wolfgang Schivelbusch in his book “Taste of Paradise” says that coffee was a perfect drug for a culture that invented mathematics. So basically boiling water for tea or coffee made it safer and boosted public health. And basically, this drug caffeine fosters a more linear and rational-focused way of thinking. So there is a lot of evidence linking coffee and tea consumption with enlightenment in France, the Age of Reason in England, and so on. People started writing about it in the 1600s & it was very popular. People drank more caffeine and less alcohol.
What do the modern cafe and the Enlightenment—the period from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries where new thought exploded and age-old religious beliefs were overthrown in favor of scientific study—have in common? Keep reading to find out!
It’s no coincidence that coffee’s arrival in Europe coincided with the start of the Enlightenment. In fact, many historians believe that the arrival and adoption of coffee, in favor of the perennial favorite, beer, helped fuel the revolution by sharpening people’s minds, filling them with ideas and loosening their tongues.
The arrival of coffeehouses in Europe paved the way for a collision of ideas to ignite the Enlightenment. With these new “penny universities,” as they were often called because of the penny cost of admission to a coffeehouse, men of all backgrounds, education and careers, met for the first time to debate new thoughts. This meeting of the minds led to an explosion of new ideas that fueled the intellectual revolution of the Enlightenment.
In Europe, particularly in cities like Paris, London, and Vienna, coffeehouses began to proliferate in the late 17th century. These establishments became popular meeting places for intellectuals, artists, politicians, and thinkers. The coffeehouses fostered an environment that encouraged discussion about politics, philosophy, science, and literature. This open dialogue allowed for the circulation of Enlightenment ideals, such as liberty, equality, rationality, and skepticism of dogma.
In England, coffeehouses were often referred to as "penny universities." For the small cost of a cup of coffee, patrons could engage in discussions with learned individuals and partake in the latest intellectual trends, providing an accessible means for a broader segment of the population to participate in Enlightenment discourse. This democratization of knowledge was significant in encouraging public engagement and critical thinking.
Prominent Enlightenment thinkers, such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and John Locke, frequently visited these coffeehouses, where they could share their ideas and engage in lively debates. These interactions often influenced their writings, further spreading Enlightenment concepts. Additionally, coffeehouses served as breeding grounds for new political ideas. They played a role in the formulation of revolutionary thought, contributing to movements such as the American and French Revolutions, as audiences gathered to discuss concepts of liberty and governance while enjoying their coffee.
The cultural impact of coffee extended beyond intellectual discussions; it also challenged traditional norms. The rise of coffeehouses coincided with a shifting cultural landscape that began to question established institutions like monarchy and the church. The lively, often critical debates that took place over coffee facilitated the questioning of authority and tradition, essential tenets of Enlightenment thinking.
The coffeehouses were also significant in fostering global connections. Coffee itself was a product of worldwide trade, originating from Ethiopia and spreading through the Arabic world to Europe. As coffeehouses emerged in Europe, they became centers for international dialogue, where ideas transcended borders and connected people from different cultures.
Furthermore, the increasing popularity of coffeehouses contributed to changes in social norms surrounding leisure and public discourse. People began to gather more openly to share ideas, bridging class divides and creating new forms of social interaction. This shift in how individuals engaged with one another played a role in the development of modern democratic processes. All of the above happened with simple hot coffee drinks, without your pumpkin spice latte with extra caramel and whipped cream on top.
On a final note, I want to give you a brief history of the term “coffee break” to sum it all up.
There are two places in time that we can point to that laid the groundwork for us coffee lovers for starters. The first was in 1902 in Buffalo New York. A company by the name of Barcolo Manufacturing, started offering two coffee breaks a day for their employees as a special benefit. The idea was that if you gave workers a chance to relax over a cup of joe for a few minutes they would in turn be more productive. Not to mention the caffeine boost was a great benefit.
The second instance took place in Denver Colorado in the 1940s. Wigwam Weavers made neckties and thanks to the outbreak of WWII the company lost their best young workers. To combat the issue Wigwam hired older men who were not drafted to do the job. It did not work as well as they had hoped. So, they ended up hiring older women who could do a good job making the ties. However, at a certain point in the day, the production rate slowed a bit. What to do here?
Well, the women suggested giving them two points in the day when they could take a break to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Once Wigwam allowed this to happen productivity went up. Pretty fast too. It only took a couple of 10-minute breaks and some caffeine to get the ball rolling.
Pura Vida!
Rashad
brittanica
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