AMSCO® Advanced Placement® World History_ Modern

Scientific Inquiry and Deism

  • Deists believed in understanding the universe through scientific inquiry rather than religious texts.

  • Despite unconventional beliefs, many Deists attended church for social obligation and moral guidance.

  • Thomas Paine's works:

    • The Age of Reason (1794): Militant defense of Deism, criticized organized religions.

    • Common Sense (1776): Advocated for American liberty, earned popularity.

European Intellectual Life (1250-1789)

  • Medieval Thinkers:

    • St. Thomas Aquinas: Used reason to support faith.

    • Scholasticism (1225-1274): Focused on debate and written argument; emphasized Aristotle.

  • Renaissance Thinkers:

    • Erasmus: Humanist advocate for practical writings.

    • Machiavelli: Authored The Prince; emphasized secularism and individual achievement.

    • Mirandola: Celebrated human capabilities.

  • Scientific Revolution:

    • Francis Bacon: Advocated empirical data use.

    • Isaac Newton: Promoted ideas of natural rights and reason.

    • Thomas Hobbes: Proposed constitutional frameworks.

    • John Locke: Champion of religious toleration.

Enlightenment Reforms in Society

  • Enlightenment thinkers reacted to urbanization and industrialization's effects:

    • Increased poverty and unsanitary conditions for workers.

    • Proposed varied solutions: some suggested government intervention, others promoted private charity.

    • Conservatism: Emphasis on traditional institutions and practical experience over ideology.

Utopian Socialism

  • Socialism characterized by public ownership of the means of production.

  • Key Figures:

    • Henri de Saint-Simon: Advocated public works and focused on community.

    • Charles Fourier: Promoted enjoyable work through harmonious living.

    • Robert Owen: Established intentional communities; emphasized education and communal property.

    • Fabian Society: Gradual reformists in England; included writers like H. G. Wells and Virginia Woolf.

Classical Liberalism

  • Advocated for constitutional government and natural rights.

  • Demands for Political Change:

    • Reform Bills in Britain (1832, 1867, 1884) expanded male suffrage.

Rise of Feminism

  • The movement for women's rights emerged, influenced by Enlightenment ideals.

  • Key Figures:

    • Olympe de Gouges: Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the (Female) Citizen (1791).

    • Mary Wollstonecraft: A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), pushed for equal education.

    • Full voting rights gained in the UK in 1928.

Abolitionism and Serfdom

  • Abolition Movement: Aimed to end the Atlantic slave trade and slavery.

    • Early bans on slave trading (Denmark in 1803, Britain in 1807, US in 1808).

    • Slavery diminished after trade bans; Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery (1888).

  • Decline of Serfdom:

    • Over time, serfdom declined in Europe due to economic shifts and revolts.

    • Significant abolitions: England in 1574 (Elizabeth I), France in 1789, and Russia in 1861 (Alexander II).

Zionism

  • Desire to reestablish a Jewish homeland due to anti-Semitism and pogroms.

  • Prominent advocate: Theodor Herzl; movement gained traction after the Dreyfus Affair in 1894.

  • The Zionist movement strengthened until Israel's establishment in 1948, despite challenges with the Ottoman Empire and local Arabs.

Reactions to the Industrial Economy

  • Industrial life conditions led to calls for reform:

    • Labor Unions: Formed to advocate for workers' rights, leading to improved wages and conditions.

    • Voting Rights: Reform bills gradually expanded suffrage in Britain.

    • Child Labor: Laws established to protect children; education became mandatory.

    • John Stuart Mill: Advocated for labor rights and safe working conditions through utilitarianism; criticized capitalism's harsh realities.

Scientific Inquiry and Deism: Deists emphasized understanding the universe through science rather than religious texts, though many attended church for social and moral reasons. Key work: Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason criticized organized religion.

European Intellectual Life (1250-1789): Medieval thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas combined reason and faith. Renaissance figures like Erasmus and Machiavelli celebrated humanism and secularism. The Scientific Revolution featured Bacon's empirical data use and Newton's ideas on natural rights.

Enlightenment Reforms: Thinkers reacted to urban poverty and unsanitary conditions, proposing government intervention or charity. Conservatism valued tradition over ideology.

Utopian Socialism: Involved public ownership of production. Key figures included Saint-Simon, Fourier, and Owen, and the Fabian Society advocated gradual reform.

Classical Liberalism: Sought constitutional government and natural rights, leading to expanded suffrage through British Reform Bills.

Rise of Feminism: Influenced by Enlightenment ideas, figures like de Gouges and Wollstonecraft advocated for women's rights, culminating in full voting rights in the UK by 1928.

Abolitionism and Serfdom: Aimed to end slavery, culminating in bans by various countries and diminishing serfdom in Europe by the 19th century.

Zionism: Sought a Jewish homeland due to anti-Semitism, gaining momentum after the Dreyfus Affair, leading to Israel's establishment in 1948.

Reactions to Industrial Economy: Conditions spurred labor unions, expanded voting rights, and child labor laws. John Stuart Mill advocated for labor rights through utilitarianism.