Social Science I - French Thinkers and Pre-Revolutionary Society

Vocabulary flashcards covering taxation issues and key philosophers (Voltaire and Rousseau) from the Standard X Social Science lecture transcript.

Inequality in Taxation

One of the primary reasons the middle class, including bankers, opposed the government, leading to demands that rules of taxation be made equal among all citizens.

Voltaire

A philosopher, historian, satirist, and philanthropist who, despite not being an atheist, constantly criticized the clergy through his articles and was expelled from France for his writings.

Rousseau

An educational philosopher and political theorist whose work inspired the French Revolution, based his ideas on naturalism, and declared that 'Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.'

The Social Contract

A work by Rousseau that defined the relationship between the citizen and the state, asserting that the people created the king through a contract for their welfare and upliftment.

Naturalism

The core philosophical framework underlying Rousseau's ideas regarding freedom, laws, and the relationship between individuals and government.