Age of Absolutism & Enlightenment: Key Concepts and Monarchs

Absolute Monarchy

A government where one person has total control.

Autocrat

A person who rules through an absolute monarchy.

Divine Right

The belief that an absolute monarch's authority to rule came directly from God.

Louis XIV of France

Known as the 'Sun King,' ruled for 72 years, believed in divine right: 'I am the state.'

Intendants

Royal Officials who collected taxes and carried out Louis XIV's policies.

Versailles Palace

A massive, opulent palace built to glorify the king and show off his wealth/power.

Peter the Great of Russia

Ruled from 1682 to 1725 with the goal of westernization to modernize Russian society.

St. Petersburg

Nicknamed 'Peter's window to the west,' located near bodies of water for easier access to Europe.

Beard Tax

A tax imposed by Peter the Great on men who did not shave their long beards.

The Enlightenment

An intellectual movement where thinkers challenged the teachings of the Catholic Church and absolute rulers.

State of Nature

How people would behave if they were not taught 'right or wrong,' or lived without consequences.

Social Contract

An agreement between a government and its people where people give up some freedom for protection.

Growth of Democracy

Enlightenment ideas inspired a form of government where citizens exercise power through elections.

Thomas Hobbes

An Enlightenment thinker known for his views on human nature and social contract.

John Locke

Key figure in developing the Social Contract idea.

Baron Charles de Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker known for his ideas on the separation of powers.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment thinker known for his ideas on the social contract and general will.

Voltaire

An Enlightenment thinker known for his advocacy of freedom of speech and religion.

Enlightened Despots

Absolute rulers who embraced some Enlightenment ideas to prevent rebellion and maintain power.

Catherine the Great of Russia

An enlightened despot who brought religious freedom into Russia but was still a brutal leader.