Enlightenment Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes on Enlightenment thinkers, core political concepts, criminal justice reforms, and social theories.

Enlightenment

A historical movement that used reason and logic to question government and society.

Divine Right

The belief that kings received their power from God.

Hobbes

Author of Leviathan who lived during the English Civil War; he believed people naturally compete and fight, requiring a strong government to prevent chaos, and argued that citizens give up many rights in a social contract with no right to revolt.

State of Nature

Hobbes's concept describing a condition where people naturally compete and fight, making life "nasty, brutish, and short."

Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who lived during the Glorious Revolution, believed people are naturally cooperative, introduced Tabula Rasa, and held that government exists to protect natural rights under a social contract.

Tabula Rasa

The concept that people are born a "blank slate" and are shaped by their experiences.

Voltaire

French social critic influenced by England who supported freedom of speech, limited monarchy, and a free press, and frequently used satire.

Satire

Humor used to criticize society or government.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who advocated for the Separation of Powers and checks & balances to prevent any single person or group from becoming too powerful.

Separation of Powers

The division of government authority into Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches.

Checks & Balances

A system where branches of government limit each other's power.

Rousseau

Philosopher who stated "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains," argued that private property made society unequal, and advocated for government serving the people based on the General Will and a Social Contract where the community creates laws.

General Will

Rousseau's concept describing what is best for the community.

Beccaria

Thinker focused on criminal justice reform who opposed torture and the death penalty, noted that the justice system can make mistakes, and favored speedy, reasonable punishments and hard labor.

Wollstonecraft

Advocate for women's rights and feminism who argued that reason is not limited by gender, promoted equal education and opportunities for women, and was the mother of Mary Shelley.

Legacy of the Enlightenment

An era leading to more secular thinking, individual rights and power, as well as major changes in government, religion, and society.