Coffee and the Path to Enlightenment

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence.

These ideas that lay the foundation for the American experience is the culmination of several hundred years of thought and philosophy developed during the Age of Enlightenment (1685-1815). During this time, thought leaders throughout Europe revolutionized the way we think about the purpose of humanity, and how we can truly become free.

But why? Why did people all across Europe seem to finally wake up and decide the change the world?

The simple answer: Coffee.

That's right, The United States of America, a constitutional republic built on the revolutionary concept of individual liberty and rejection of monarchy is a consequence of the jittery caffeine high that comes only from that sweet black elixir.

How did this happen?

In the years before purified water (so basically all of human history) our ancestors had poor access the fresh, safe drinking water. Drinking water was not far from a death sentence, being riddled with infectious bacteria and parasites. Water has to be filtered and boiled to be made potable, and even then there is still a chance of infection. But what humans have discovered long ago is that you can't get sick from alcohol (at least not in the same way).

For centuries, alcohol was the safe, smart choice for keeping hydrated. You would wake up and start the day with a weak beer or wine, and just keep on drinking the whole day! It's safer, its smarter, and it's addicting, so why waste your time boiling water?

Alcohol ruled the world until the west-word expansion of the Ottoman Empire brought coffee to Europe in the 16th century. From this point on, many Europeans would brew coffee in the morning rather than drinking beer. Needless to say, this had the opposite effect of alcohol on these people.

Suddenly, the world was much more productive. People started feeling alert and oriented, rather than relaxed and inebriated. People worked longer hours, and felt more motivated.

Shortly after this introduction to caffeine, the Age of Enlightenment began, and the rest is history.

To this day we stimulate our work effort with an average of 3 cups of coffee per day! We are more productive now than we have ever been, and so were those that lifted Europe out of the "dark ages."

Who knows what the world might look like today without coffee? It's hard to imagine.

“Coffee – the favorite drink of the civilized world.” - Thomas Jefferson

CK
Stephen Hicks, (2010). Coffee and the Enlightenment. Retrieved from https://www.stephenhicks.org/2010/01/18/coffee-and-the-enlightenment/