Midterm Prep 2

Age of Enlightenment

A historical period beginning in the mid-1600s marked by intellectual and philosophical advancements emphasizing reason and scientific thought.

Deism

A philosophical belief that a creator designed the universe but does not intervene in its functioning, allowing humanity to progress independently.

Philosophes

Enlightenment thinkers who challenged traditional beliefs about science, religion, government, and society.

Leviathan

A seminal work by Thomas Hobbes likening government to a beast that requires regulation of human freedoms to ensure societal stability.

Mercantilism

An economic theory stating that a country's wealth is finite, and trade must be conducted as a win/lose endeavor.

Social Contract

A foundational political philosophy concept that outlines relationships and agreements between individuals and governing bodies.

Tabula Rasa

John Locke's theory that individuals are born without innate ideas and that knowledge is developed through experience.

Natural Rights

Locke’s assertion of inalienable rights including life, liberty, and property that fundamentally shaped modern democratic thought.

Social Contract Theory

Theoretical framework stipulating obligations of citizens and governments, foundational for many modern democracies.

Agricultural Revolution

A period of significant agricultural development that set the stage for the Industrial Revolution by altering food production and population dynamics.

Industrial Revolution

A major transformation in the economy marked by the use of steam engines and the rise of large corporations.

Steam Engine

A symbol of the Industrial Revolution that facilitated the transportation of goods and necessitated new management practices.

Socialism

An economic ideology that emerged as a response to the changes brought on by industrialization, advocating for collective or governmental ownership of production.

Communism

A political and economic ideology that advocates for a classless system in which all property is publicly owned.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of production and operation for profit.

Hobbes’ absolute monarchy justification

Hobbes justified absolute monarchy as necessary to maintain societal stability, though he was criticized for his conclusions.

Locke’s influence on the American Revolution

John Locke's arguments for natural rights significantly influenced the ideologies behind the American Revolution.

Mayflower Compact

The first social contract in America that laid the groundwork for colonial governance.

Tariffs and taxes in Mercantilism

Restrictive measures that limited the prosperity and interaction of American colonies with other nations.

Critical questioning

A process encouraged by Enlightenment thought that promotes rational discourse and intellectual inquiry.

Transitioning economies

The shift from agrarian societies to industrial economies that transformed familial and societal structures.

Enlightenment thought process

A methodology that values reason and scientific inquiry, influencing various fields.

Regulation of freedoms

The concept that societal order requires certain controls over individual freedoms, as argued by Hobbes.

Beast of Leviathan

Hobbes’ metaphor depicting government as a creature needing regulation for stability.

Blank slate

The idea in Tabula Rasa that the mind starts without ideas, shaped by experiences.