5.1 The Enlightenment

• Who began to emphasize reason over tradition in the 17th and 18th centuries?

  Descartes
• What was the Enlightenment characterized by?

  Emphasis on reason and individualism
• How did Enlightenment ideals challenge traditional authority?

  They questioned monarchs and church leaders' roles
• What were the main ideals of the Enlightenment?

  • Individualism
  • Freedom
  • Self-determination
• What did Enlightenment thinkers believe about applying reason to natural laws?

  It would result in societal progress
• What is empiricism?

  Knowledge comes from sensed experience
• What did Francis Bacon emphasize in the 17th century?

  Empirical methods of scientific inquiry
• What did Hobbes argue about people's natural state?

  It was "nasty, brutish, and short"
• What did Locke believe about the social contract?

  Citizens have the right to revolt against injustice
• What concept did Locke introduce regarding a child's mind?

  Tabula rasa or "blank slate"
• How did Rousseau expand on the social contract idea?

  He introduced the concept of the General Will
• What was Adam Smith's influential book?

  The Wealth of Nations
• What economic system did Adam Smith's ideas help establish?

  Capitalism
• What does laissez-faire mean in economic terms?

  Governments should reduce economic intervention
• What is Deism?

  Belief in a non-interfering creator
• What did Thomas Paine advocate in The Age of Reason?

  Defense of Deism
• What were the characteristics of the Enlightenment period?

  • Emphasis on reason and individualism
  • Growth of new political ideas
  • Challenge to traditional authority
• What were the main "isms" that emerged during the Enlightenment?

  • Socialism
  • Liberalism
  • Conservatism
• Who were some prominent Enlightenment thinkers?

  Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Adam Smith
• What did Montesquieu advocate in The Spirit of Laws?

  Checks on power in government
• What was Voltaire known for?

  Advocacy of civil liberties
• What did Rousseau believe about society's potential?

  Society could improve through education
• What did the Enlightenment thinkers believe about God?

  God set natural laws in motion
• What were the representative thinkers of the Enlightenment and their contributions?

  • Francis Bacon: Empirical methods
  • Hobbes: Social contract theory
  • Locke: Natural rights and tabula rasa
  • Montesquieu: Separation of powers
  • Voltaire: Civil liberties advocacy
  • Rousseau: General Will concept
  • Adam Smith: Capitalism and laissez-faire
• What was the impact of Enlightenment ideas on revolutions?

  They inspired independence and constitutional representation
• How did nationalism relate to the Enlightenment?

  It promoted loyalty to shared culture and language
• What was the relationship between the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution?

  Enlightenment thought grew from the Scientific Revolution
• What did the Enlightenment thinkers believe about traditional religion?

  It became less pervasive
• What was the significance of the Age of Isms?

  It marked the emergence of new political ideologies
• What did the Enlightenment thinkers advocate for in society?


  Improvement through reason and education
• What was the role of the philosophes in the Enlightenment?

  They explored social, political, and economic theories
• How did the Enlightenment influence modern governance?

  It introduced ideas of checks and balances
• Who influenced the writers of new constitutions in France and America?

  Baron Montesquieu
• What did Montesquieu praise in his work The Spirit of Laws?

  The British government's use of checks on power
• How did Montesquieu influence the American system of government?

  By separating executive, legislative, and judicial branches
• What is the pen name of Francois-Marie Arouet?

  Voltaire
• What is Voltaire best known for?

  His social satire Candide
• How did Voltaire's exile influence his views?

  He developed an appreciation for constitutional monarchy
• What ideas did Voltaire advocate for upon returning to France?

  Religious liberty and judicial reform
• Who were some of the heads of state Voltaire corresponded with?

  Catherine the Great and Frederick the Great