AP European History: Unit 4 - Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Decisions

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key thinkers, concepts, and publications from the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment in AP European History.

Scientific Revolution

Refers to the rapid advances in European scientific and mathematical knowledge based on a new philosophy of empiricism and a faith in progress that defined Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Geocentric Universe

In astronomy, a superseded description of the universe (also known as the Ptolemaic system) with the Earth at the center.

Heliocentric Universe

An astronomical system having or representing the sun as the center, as in the accepted astronomical model of the solar system.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

A Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

A German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer key to the 17th century scientific revolution, best known for his laws of planetary motion based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

An Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution; known for his conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, which placed him under house arrest for the last few years of his life.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

English mathematician and physicist remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion.

Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)

An anatomist, physician, and author of De humani corporis fabrica; often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

His works helped define and popularize the scientific method; promoted empiricism, a form of inductive reasoning based on experimental research rather than assumptions.

William Harvey (1578-1657)

Discovered the circulation of blood and the role of the heart in propelling it, developing an accurate theory of how the heart and circulatory system operated.

Paracelsus (1493-1541)

A pioneer in several aspects of the Renaissance 'medical revolution' who emphasized the value of observation in combination with received wisdom; credited as the 'father of toxicology'.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

French philosopher and mathematician whose Discourse on Method stated that all assumptions had to be proven on the basis of known facts ('I think; therefore, I am'), using strict, orderly logical reasoning.

Alchemy

The medieval forerunner of chemistry based on the supposed transformation of matter, concerned particularly with attempts to convert base metals into gold or to find a universal elixir.

Astrology

The study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

Galen (130-210)

A prominent Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher in the Roman Empire.

Montesquieu

French social commentator and political thinker during the Age of Enlightenment whose work The Spirit of Laws is significant for introducing the separation of powers in government.

Cesare Baccaria

An Italian philosophe focused on legal reform who published 'On Crimes and Punishment' to attack torture and capital punishment and advocate for speedy trials and fair punishment.

John Locke

A 17th-century philosopher and political theorist regarded as the founder of British Empiricism, contributor to modern theories of limited, liberal government, and author of Two Treaties of Government.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Author of The Social Contract who argued against the divine right of monarchs to legislate, asserting that only the people are sovereign and hold that power.

Mary Wollstonecraft

English writer who advocated for women's equality and pressed for educational reforms in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Olympe de Gouges

A feminist pioneer and advocate of women's rights known for her political writing, support of the French Revolution, and work The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, (1791).

French Salon

A cultural venue that played an integral role in the cultural and intellectual development of France and became a center of intellectual as well as social exchange.

Adam Smith

Economist and philosopher who wrote The Wealth of Nations (the 'bible of capitalism'), detailing the first system of political economy.

Physiocrats

18th century French thinkers who attacked mercantilist regulation, advocated a limited economic role for government, and believed that all economic production depended on sound agriculture.

Deism

A belief in a rational God who created the universe but allowed it to function without interference according to natural mechanisms, accompanied by a belief in rewards and punishments after death for human action.