Chapter 11: Enlightenment or the Age of Reason

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key scientists, philosophers, writers, artists, and concepts of the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason.

Enlightenment (Age of Reason)

A direct reaction to the emotion and religious fervor of the Catholic Counter-Reformation that embraced science, research, and technology, viewing reason as the key to ending social ills.

Deism

The belief that God created the world but left humans to make it better.

Sir Francis Bacon

A scientist who developed and defended the scientific method through unbiased, methodical, and repetitive experimentation.

Sir Isaac Newton

A scientist who used observation, testing, and trial and error to study physical optics, mechanics, and motion.

Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

The work by Isaac Newton that outlines the laws of mechanics, motion, and gravity.

Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet)

The author of "Candide" who believed in religious tolerance, argued against the monarchy’s abuse of power, and defended free speech.

Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu

A philosopher who believed in equality for all and advocated for the separation of powers and checks and balances in government.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

A philosopher who argued that rulers govern only with the consent of the governed and that people have an obligation to overthrow unfair rulers.

Marie Therese Geoffrin

An individual who fostered salons for intellectuals and provided financial support to philosophes, artists, and writers as they created the Encyclopedie.

John Locke

A British philosopher who rejected the divine right of kings and proposed a social contract based on life, liberty, and property.

Tabula rasa

The concept that every person is born with a blank slate, and their development depends entirely on what is taught to them.

Thomas Hobbes

Author of "Leviathan" who believed humans are greedy and selfish, necessitating the absolute rule of kings and government to keep them under control.

Olympe de Gouges

A female philosopher associated with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen who pushed for women’s rights in education and government.

Mary Wollstonecraft

A philosopher who argued that education is the key to women’s equality and that women deserve the same rights, opportunities, and power as men.

Don Quixote

Considered the first Western novel, written by Miguel de Cervantes, featuring a protagonist who lives in a fantasy and fights windmills.

Alexander Pope

The author of "Rape of the Lock," a mock epic that uses high language to satirize a real-life feud between Lord Petre and Arabella Fermor.

Jonathan Swift

A satirist known for "A Modest Proposal," which criticized Irish poverty, and "Gulliver's Travels," which commented on social ills in Britain.

Samuel Richardson

The author of "Pamela," an epistolary novel that depicts the treatment of servants by the nobility.

Henry Fielding

A satirist who wrote "Shamela" as a parody of "Pamela," as well as "Tom Jones" and "Joseph Andrews."

Rococo Architecture

An adaptation of Baroque style characterized by lavishly decorated frivolity, pastel colors, fragility, and ornamentation often made of plaster.

Antoine Watteau

One of the earliest Rococo painters known for dream-like, courtly paintings set outdoors, such as "Embarkation for Cythera."

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

A Rococo artist known for playful and suggestive works like "The Bathers" and "The Swing."

Genre Painting

A style of painting that used realistic lighting to depict the daily lives of middle-class people, practiced by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin.

William Hogarth

An Enlightenment satirist painter known for series such as "The Rake’s Progress" and "Marriage a La Mode" which criticized societal norms.

Neoclassical Architecture

An architectural style that borrowed classical Greek and Roman traits like pillars and domes, frequently used by Thomas Jefferson in U.S. designs.

Franz Joseph Hayden

A classical composer who used the three-movement sonata form and was known for "The Surprise Symphony."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A prolific composer who wrote his first symphony at age 8 and created numerous operas and symphonies before dying at age 35.