Humanities Exam 1 Flashcards
What is the Enlightenment Era also known as?
Age of Reason
What intellectual movements characterized the Enlightenment?
Rationalism, scientific revolution
In which centuries did the Enlightenment occur?
17th and 18th century
Where did the Enlightenment begin?
Paris, Edinburgh, and Weimar
Which cities did the Enlightenment spread to?
London and New England
Who was Denis Diderot?
Editor of the first encyclopedia and an atheist
What concept did the Physiocrats influence?
The ‘rule of nature’, which influenced Adam Smith
What political concept did Montesquieu introduce?
Checks and balances
What did Voltaire emphasize?
Free speech and religious freedom
Voltaire was also an atheist.
What was Rousseau’s stance on the Enlightenment?
He disagreed with it.
What is the irony of Absolutism and the Enlightenment?
The Sun King promoted the Enlightenment.
What defines Absolutism?
The king holds all power and does not answer to anyone except God.
Who was the Absolutist Sun King?
Louis XIV
What is Louis XIV’s famous quote?
“I am the state”
Did the Enlightenment support Absolutism?
No, it did not, but opinions were divided at the time.
What was Thomas Hobbes’ view on Absolutism?
He favored it, believing the social contract gives all power to the king.
What was John Locke’s view on Absolutism?
He was against it, believing the social contract gives some power to rulers.
Who were some key Absolutist figures?
King Louis XIV of France, Peter the Great and Catherine the Great of Russia, Frederick the Great of Prussia
What was Peter the Great’s contribution to Russia?
He established St. Petersburg as the new capital.
What was St. Petersburg nicknamed?
“Window to the west”
What significant institution did Peter the Great establish?
Russian Academy of Sciences
What period is referred to as the Age of Revolution?
1775-1795
Which revolution came first, the American or the French?
The American Revolution
What characterized the American Revolution?
It was led by elites embracing Enlightenment ideas.
What was the Declaration of Independence’s intended audience?
The colonists
What does the term ‘subject’ imply?
A subject is under the king’s will and does not have inherent rights.
What does the term ‘citizen’ imply?
A citizen has rights from nature and is born free.
What is the significance of the Statue of Liberty?
It symbolizes the revolution and friendship between France and the US.
What is the oldest living constitution in the world?
US Constitution (1787)
What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?
The meeting of the Estates-General in May 1789
What was the composition of the Estates-General?
1st - clergy, 2nd - nobility, 3rd - middle class and peasants
What happened on July 14, 1789?
The storming of the Bastille
What did the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen emphasize?
Liberty, equality, fraternity
What was the outcome of the Reign of Terror?
17,000 executions
What was the new government structure after the revolution?
A Directory, which eventually turned into a dictatorship.
Who became a dictator during the Napoleonic Era?
Napoleon
What is Neoclassical Art a reaction against?
Baroque art
Who was Denis Diderot?
A French Enlightenment philosopher and editor of the first major encyclopedia.
What was the main point of Diderot’s Encyclopedia?
Reason and science lead to human progress.
Who was Mary Wollstonecraft?
The first modern feminist and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
What was Wollstonecraft’s main argument?
Women are rational creatures and should have educational opportunities.
