AP World Unit 5 Vocab

Empiricism

The theory that knowledge comes from sensory experience, forming the foundation of the scientific method

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all humans, including life, liberty, and property, as emphasized by John Locke

Social Contract Theory

A philosophical idea proposing that individuals consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to establish societal governance for mutual benefit

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker who argued for the protection of natural rights and the foundation of governments on social contracts

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

A philosopher who expanded on social contract theory and advocated for popular sovereignty

Enlightenment

A cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized reason, science, and individualism over tradition

Mary Wollstonecraft

A writer who argued for women's rights and equality during the Enlightenment

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

A revolutionary document from the French Revolution affirming individual rights and liberty

Nationalism

A sense of identity and unity as a nation, often fostered through shared language, culture, and history

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution marked by mass executions to protect revolutionary ideals

Simon Bolivar

A leader of Latin American independence movements against Spanish rule

Toussaint L'Ouverture

A leader of the Haitian Revolution, which abolished slavery and established Haiti as an independent nation

Factory System

A system of manufacturing that centralized production and utilized machines

Specialization of Labor

Division of work into specific tasks to increase efficiency within factories

Second Industrial Revolution

A period of technological advancements in steel, electricity, chemicals, and machinery

Meiji Era

A period of modernization and industrialization in Japan influenced by Western ideas

Adam Smith

An economist who argued for free markets and minimal government intervention in his work "The Wealth of Nations"

Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

A transnational bank established during this era to facilitate trade

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership and the pursuit of profit

Labor Unions

Organizations formed to protect and improve workers' rights and conditions

Karl Marx

A thinker who critiqued capitalism and proposed socialism and communism as alternatives

Socialism

A political and economic theory or social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole

Communism

A political theory seeking a classless society where property is communally owned

Self-Strengthening Movement

Reforms in China aiming to modernize the state and industry while maintaining Confucian values

Tanzimat Reforms

A series of Ottoman reforms intended to modernize administration and secure the empire

Proletariat

The working class in a capitalist society

Bourgeoisie

The middle class, often seen as the capitalist class in Marxist theory

Consumer Goods

Products made for consumption by the general public