Enlightenment and Social Movements

This set of flashcards covers key concepts, figures, and ideologies from the Enlightenment period and associated social movements.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and critical thinking over tradition and religious dogma.

Nationalism

A feeling of intense loyalty and pride to others who share one's language and culture, often leading to the desire for a distinct, independent nation-state.

Empiricism

The belief that knowledge comes from sensed experience, observation, and experimentation, rather than from innate ideas or tradition.

John Locke

An English philosopher who argued for natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and the right to revolt against an unjust government.

Social Contract

An implicit agreement between the people and their government, in which the people give up some rights in exchange for law, order, and protection.

Tabula Rasa

Latin for 'blank slate', Locke's concept that a child is born with a mind empty of content, with knowledge shaped by later experience.

Philosophes

Thinkers and writers of the Enlightenment who explored social, political, and economic theories in new ways.

Baron Montesquieu

A French philosopher who praised the British government's checks on power and the separation of powers into different branches.

Voltaire

A French philosopher who campaigned for religious liberty, freedom of speech, and judicial reform.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

A philosopher who presented the concept of the 'general will' of a population and advocated for government by the people.

Adam Smith

A Scottish economist who advocated for freer trade and argued that an 'invisible hand' guides the market.

Laissez-faire

A French term meaning 'leave alone', referring to an economic policy advocating minimal government intervention.

Capitalism

An economic system where resources and production are privately owned, and businesses operate for profit with minimal government control.

Deism

The belief that a deity created the world but does not interfere with its daily operations.

Thomas Paine

A philosopher and writer who advocated for American liberty from Britain and criticized organized religion.

Conservatism

A political philosophy that relies on tradition and established institutions, opposing radical changes.

Socialism

A political and economic theory advocating for community or workers to collectively own and control production.

Utopian Socialists

A group of socialists who believed society could be reformed by establishing ideal communities.

Henri de Saint-Simon

A Utopian Socialist who advocated for industrialization managed by an elite group for societal benefit.

Charles Fourier

A Utopian Socialist who believed in planned communal societies or 'phalanxes' for harmonious living.

Robert Owen

A Utopian Socialist who established model industrial communities to improve working conditions.

Fabian Society

A gradual socialist movement favoring reform through parliamentary means rather than revolution.

Classical Liberalism

A political ideology focused on individual rights, civil liberties, and limited government intervention.

Mary Wollstonecraft

An advocate for women's rights during the Enlightenment, arguing for equal access to education.

Abolitionism

The movement to end the slave trade and emancipate enslaved people influenced by Enlightenment ideals.

Zionism

The desire of Jews to reestablish an independent homeland in the Middle East primarily in response to antisemitism.

Antisemitism

Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews prevalent in European society.

Theodor Herzl

A key leader in the Zionist movement advocating for the creation of a Jewish state.

Dreyfus Affair

A political scandal when a Jewish military officer was falsely convicted of treason, highlighting antisemitism.