Western Europe Vocab

Absolutism

A political system in which unlimited power is held by a single ruler or authority, without constitutional or legal restraints.

Humanism

A philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence over acceptance of dogma or superstition.

Renaissance Man

An individual whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas; such an individual is well-versed in multiple fields and possesses a broad knowledge base.

Secularism

The principle of separation of the state from religious institutions; the belief that public activities and decisions should be based on reason and evidence, rather than religious beliefs.

Constitutional Monarchy

A form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written constitution.

Scientific Revolution

A period during the 16th and 17th centuries when new ideas in physics, astronomy, biology, human anatomy, and chemistry transformed views of society and nature.

Deism

Belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically a creator who does not intervene in the universe. Deists typically reject organized religion and believe that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of this being.

Enlightenment Period

An intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century, emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era.

Theatre State

A political state directed towards the performance of ritual and spectacle rather than the implementation of policy or the exercise of brute force.