New Ideas/Pop Culture Vocab

Anesthetic

Drug that prevents pain during surgery

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural area to cities

Tenement

Multistory building divided into crowded apartments

Social mobility

The ability to move in social class

Free market

Market regulated by the natural laws of supply and demand

Utilitarianism

Idea that the goal of society should be to bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people

Socialism

System in which the people as a whole rather than private individuals own all property and operate all businesses

Communism

Form of socialism advocated by Karl Marx; according to Marx, class struggle was inevitable and would lead to the creation of a classless society in which all wealth and property would be owned by the community as a whole

Proletariat

Working class

Germ theory

The theory that infectious diseases are caused by certain microbes

Racism

Belief that one racial group is superior to another

Thomas Malthus

British economist. Born in Surrey to a wealthy family. After being educated at home, he attended college in Cambridge, where he earned a master’s degree. His most well known work is An Essay on the Principle of Population.

Jeremy Bentham

British philosopher and economist who advocated for utilitarianism, the belief that right and wrong can be measured by the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people. Trained in the law but did not become a practicing lawyer. Instead, he focused on legal reforms. Not content to simply suggest new laws, he also detailed plans for how to implement his proposals. His ideas were influential during his lifetime, and some of his reforms were enacted.

Robert Owen

Set up a model community in New Lanark, Scotland, based on Utopianism. Established revolutionary changes by limiting the age for children workers and providing a school for all children. In 1824, invested in an experimental community in America called New Harmony. He became a leader in the labor movement in England and continued his involvement in the movement until his death.

Karl Marx

German-born philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist

Joseph Lister

Scottish surgeon who furthered medical knowledge by recognizing that the lack of cleanliness in hospitals directly correlated to deaths after surgeries. By studying the works of other scientists, he became convinced that microorganisms in the air entered the body through open wounds and caused infections that often led to death after surgery. Began using carbolic acid to clean patient wounds. Also began using an antiseptic liquid to treat dressings and later developed techniques to clean surgical instruments and keep wounds clean during surgery. He is known as the “Father of Antiseptic Surgery.”

Louis Pasteur

French chemist and one of the founders of microbiology. Developed the germ theory of disease and identified the causes of many diseases including rabies, anthrax, small pox, and chicken cholera. By discovering the causes of these diseases, he determined that they could be prevented by vaccines. Helped develop several vaccines, including the rabies vaccine. Also invented the process of pasteurization for wine, beer, milk, and vinegar.

Charles Darwin

English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution through the process of natural selection. In 1831, he set sail on a five-year voyage around the world. While in the Galapagos Islands, Darwin observed that the four species of finches on the islands had different beaks and eating habits. He theorized that isolation, time, and adapting to local conditions, leads to new species. His observations and the samples he collected helped him develop his theory of evolution.

Charles Dickens

English author who began his writing career as a freelance reporter. In 1836, he began publishing installments of his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which launched his career as a novelist. Created some of literatures most famous and vivid characters. As a realist, he was dedicated to depicting real life. He hoped to bring about reform, so his novels often focused on the problems of the poor to expose social ills.