Enlightenment 8.2 - 8.3 Flashcards
Nationalism
the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their national identity and the actions that the members of a nation take when seeking to achieve or sustain self-determination
Liberalism
an ideology that puts the individual first and them to be in a society that allows them to find and pursue their interests
Conservatism
an ideology that prioritizes individual choice and rights over big government, one-size-fits-all solutions and viewpoints, advocates for a legitimate, traditional government in order to preserve the status-quo
Monarchism
a government system where the ruler is a monarch such as a king or queen. Monarchies declined during the 20th century but there are still powerful monarchies in the Arab world and parts of Asia.
Constitutionalism
the idea that government should be limited in its power, and that its authority or legitimacy depends on it observing these limitations
Radicalism
the idea that there should be great or extreme social or political change
Capitalism
economic system where private actors own and control property in accord with their interest, and supply and demand are freely set prices in markets that serve the best interests of society
Feminism
a political movement that seeks an end to gender-based oppression, and reach social justice
Socialism
a failed 20th century government system where the government controls all means of production
Communism
a political ideology and government system where the state own the major resources in a society, such as production, education, agriculture, transportation, and everyone shares the benefits of labor equally and the class system is eliminated.
Philosophe
The French word meaning “philosopher” which describes the intellectuals of the 18th century philosophical movement, The Enlightenment. The philosophes believed in “limited government” and challenged absolutism. They wanted to establish a “democracy similar to that of the ancient Romans”
- Demo: people
- Cracy: government
The people’s government
Separation of Powers
A government system in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches use checks and balances in order to limit and control each other, preventing one person from having too much power, securing the state
- ideas of Montesquieu
- U.S. Constitution
Laissez-faire
The doctrine was founded by Adam Smith and The Physiocrats which in French meant to let the people do what they want. This concept meant that the state should not impose government regulations on the economy and leave it alone
Social contract
Proposed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the concept suggested everyone should agree to be governed by the general will, even those against must obey because the general will represents what is best for the whole society
- a society agrees to be governed by its general will
- people give up some of their rights to gain freedom and security
Salons
Elegant drawing rooms of the wealthy’s urban homes. The rooms held the conversations of the ideas of the philosophes. These rooms brought guests such as artists, writers, aristocrats, government officials, and wealthy middle class. The women hosting were able to participate in these conversations.
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
An Englishman who believed that all humans were born with an empty head and that their senses developed with experiences of the world. Like other Enlightenment intellectuals, he believed a positive environment could improve society
- wrote “Essay Concerning Human Understanding”
- believed everyone was born with a “blank mind” and was modeled by society
- “tabula rasa” = blank mind
Natural Rights
Locke =
- Life: live your life the way you want
- Liberty: protections from other citizens and the government
- Land (property): right to own property
Montesquieu
A French nobleman, he tried to identify the natural principles that regulate the social and political connections of humans in his 1748 work “The Spirit of the Laws”
- separation of powers
Voltaire
A Parisian man who challenged and cried the greatest power of the time, the Church. He fought against religious intolerance, and was a strong supporter of deism, which based on reason and natural law, believed a mechanic God was a clock maker that created the universe, a clock. Deists believed that the clock maker had made the clock run without his interference
- Greatest Enlightenment figure
- strongly influenced by John Locke and Issac Newton
- Championed Deism (Reason and natural law)
- Critical of the Roman Catholic Church
- Published Candide:
- Freedom of Speech,
Press, Religion
- Separation of Church
and State
V = voice - speech
- press
- religion
Denis Diderot
A writer, who’s most famous part of the Enlightenment was the “Encyclopedia” which was used to “change the general way of thinking”. The 28-volume collection, which spread Enlightenment ideas, attacked religious superstition and supported religious tolerance
- University of Paris - became a writer
- wrote “Encyclopedia” or “Classified Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Trades”
- Went against old ways/challenged status quo
- Violated religious superstitions and promoted religious toleration
- spread Enlightenment ideas
Adam Smith
Known as the founder of modern social science of economics, the Physiocrats and Adam Smith worked to determine which basic economic laws govern human civilization.
- Physiocrats
- Father of Capitalism
- Published “The Wealth of Nations”
- Laissez-Faire: French for “let the people do what they want”
- one statement in the Laissez-faire states that the government should have 3 responsibilities: maintain an army, maintain a police force, and maintain roads and canals for trading
Jean Jacques Rousseau
A philosophe, who in his works argued that individuals formed laws and governments to protect their private property, but in the process had become slaves and needed to recover their freedom
- social contract
- Believed that liberty could be achieved while following what is best for the “general will”
- Everyone is equal because you have reason and are from nature
- wrote “The Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind”
Mary Wollstonecraft
An English writer who pushed for women’s rights, Wollstonecraft determined two flaws with the opinions of numerous Enlightenment intellectuals. She pointed out that those who said women deserved equal rights to males also claimed that government based on kings’ arbitrary authority over their subjects was wrong. She further noted that the Enlightenment was established on the premise that all people possess a reasonable nature, and that it is immoral for men to have authority over women. Women are therefore entitled to the same rights as men because they have reason.
- Founder of the European and American Women’s Rights movement
- Mother of Feminism
- Discovered problems in “A Vindication of the Women’s Rights”
- Believed women are entitled to the same rights as men
- Fought for rights in education, economic, and political life
How did Enlightenment thinkers use the ideas of the Scientific Revolution?
The intellectuals of the 18th century Enlightenment used ideas of the Scientific Revolution to create a movement of reform that has influenced the Western World. For example, in our government, we use the idea of separation of power in order to maintain a secure and balanced government. And Mary Wollstonecraft used her ideas to push for women’s rights.
