The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, philosophers, scientists, and concepts from the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment notes.

Paris

The recognized center of the Enlightenment during the 1700s.

Salons

Social gatherings in Paris where thinkers met to discuss and debate intellectual ideas, setting the example for conversation during the Enlightenment.

Encyclopedia

A major set of books containing contributed essays from Enlightenment thinkers that helped spread intellectual ideas across Europe.

Enlightened Despots

Absolute rulers who aimed for societal advancement by fostering education, aiding the economy, and promoting social justice to strengthen the state.

Frederick The Great

An enlightened despot ruler who enacted state-strengthening reforms in the spirit of the Enlightenment.

Joseph II

An enlightened despot monarch who pursued reforms from above for the good of his people and the state.

Catherine The Great

An enlightened despot ruler of Russia who sought to foster social advancement and strengthen the state.

Declaration of Independence 1776

A historical document written by Thomas Jefferson justifying colonial rebellion against Great Britain by drawing heavily on John Locke's ideas.

Articles of Confederation

The first government plan for the new American republic where citizens ruled through elected representatives, resulting in a weak national government that failed to maintain order and unity.

U.S. Constitution

The foundational document creating the American federal system of government, incorporating political Enlightenment concepts like separation of powers and natural rights.

Federal System

A governmental system created by the U.S. Constitution in which power is divided between the national government and state governments.

Checks and Balances

A structural design in the U.S. Constitution ensuring that the three branches of government share power equally and limit each other's authority.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect individual freedoms such as speech and religion, as well as the rights of the accused.

Geocentric Theory

The medieval earth-centered view of the universe, taught by Christianity and ancient authorities, asserting that the sun, moon, and planets revolve around the Earth.

Heliocentric Theory

The astronomical theory asserting that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, challenging traditional Church doctrines.

Galileo

The scientist who mathematically proved the Heliocentric Theory correct, leading to conflict with the Catholic Church for contradicting religious views.

Scientific Revolution

A historical shift in thinking that created a new way of viewing the natural world based upon careful observation, experimentation, and questioning of accepted beliefs.

Scientific Method

A logical procedure for gathering and testing ideas about the physical world through observation, experimentation, and scientific reasoning.

Old Science

An approach to understanding the physical world wherein scholars relied on ancient authorities, church teachings, common sense, and abstract reasoning.

New Science

An approach to understanding the physical world introduced in the Scientific Revolution, utilizing observation, experimentation, and scientific reasoning.

Thomas Hobbes

A political thinker who believed humans are naturally selfish and wicked, requiring an absolute monarch and a restrictive social contract to maintain order.

John Locke

A political philosopher who believed people are reasonable beings with natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and possess the right to overthrow an unjust government.

Social Contract

An agreement regarding the relationship between individuals and their government; Hobbes viewed it as giving up rights in exchange for law and order, while Locke maintained natural rights could not be surrendered.

Enlightenment (Age of Reason)

An intellectual movement in the 1600s and 1700s that emphasized reason, critical thought, and the capacity of individuals to solve problems in government and society.

Philosophes

French social critics in the mid-1700s who advocated for five central beliefs: Reason, Nature, Happiness, Progress, and Liberty.

Voltaire

An Enlightenment philosophe famous for advocating free speech and religious toleration, influencing the protections found in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Baron de Montesquieu

An Enlightenment political thinker who proposed the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers into distinct branches of government.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An Enlightenment philosopher who advocated for direct democracy and public elections, writing that "Man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains."

Mary Wollstonecraft

An Enlightenment writer and reformer who authored "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," arguing for equal education and participation for women in society.

Cesare Beccaria

An Enlightenment reformer focused on social justice who argued against torture and cruel punishments, maintaining that laws exist to preserve social order rather than avenge crimes.