Renaissance & Social Contract Theory - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from notes on social contract theory, Hobbes, Locke, and the Renaissance.

Social contract

The agreement (explicit or implicit) by which people consent to be governed in exchange for protection, order, and benefits.

State of nature (Hobbes)

Without government, life would be violent and chaotic—‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.’

Human nature (Hobbes)

Humans are naturally selfish, driven by fear, power, and self-preservation.

Absolute authority

A ruler with unrestricted power (ideally a monarch) to maintain peace; rebellion is viewed as dangerous by Hobbes.

Consent of the governed

Government authority derives from the people’s voluntary agreement to be governed.

Right to rebel (Hobbes)

In Hobbes’s view, people generally do not have the right to rebel; rebellion would plunge society back into chaos.

State of nature (Locke)

People are generally reasonable and moral and have natural rights to life, liberty, and property.

Natural rights

Life, liberty, and property—rights inherent to individuals in the state of nature.

Social contract (Locke)

The agreement to form a government mainly to protect natural rights.

Government’s role (Locke)

Exists by the consent of the governed; protects rights and serves the public good.

Right to rebel (Locke)

Citizens may overthrow or replace a government that abuses power or fails to protect rights.

Limited government

A government whose powers are restricted by consent and the protection of rights.

Renaissance

Cultural and intellectual rebirth reviving classical Greek and Roman learning and human potential.

Humanism

Focus on human potential, achievements, and secular learning during the Renaissance.

Inventions of the Renaissance

Key innovations like the printing press, improved navigation, and the development of the scientific method.

Copernicus

Renaissance astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model, influencing the Scientific Revolution.

Galileo

Scientist who supported heliocentrism and made crucial astronomical observations.

Newton

Scientist who formulated laws of motion and universal gravitation; central to the Scientific Revolution.

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance artist and thinker symbolizing the era’s creativity and curiosity.

Michelangelo

Renaissance sculptor/painter emblematic of Renaissance artistic achievement.

Exploration

Voyages that connected Europe with the wider world, expanding trade and cultural exchange.

Education (Renaissance)

Rise of literacy, classical studies, and critical thinking.

Scientific Revolution

Period of major scientific advances (e.g., Copernicus, Galileo, Newton) transforming science.

U.S. Declaration of Independence

Influenced by Lockean ideas on consent and rights; foundational to modern democracy.

Secular outlook

A shift toward non-religious explanations and public life during the Renaissance.

Critical thinking

Renaissance emphasis on questioning and evaluating knowledge.