Long Term Causes - The Enlightenment

Question 1

Enlightenment

Answer 1

An intellectual movement of writers and thinkers that emerged in Europe during the course of the 18th century

Question 2

The movement challenged a whole range of widely accepted views and ideas relating to what?

Answer 2

Religion, nature and absolute monarchy

Question 3

What was their analysis of society based on?

Answer 3

Reason and rational thought rather than superstition and tradition

Question 4

What were the intellectuals of the Enlightenment known as?

Answer 4

Philosophes

Question 5

Philosophes were not philosophers, they were what?

Answer 5

Writers

Question 6

Most famous philosophes

Answer 6

Diderot, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau

Question 7

What did the philosophes write on and attack?

Answer 7

Problems of the day

Prejudice and superstition they saw around them

Question 8

Most important work of the French Enlightenment

Answer 8

The Encyclopaedia (edited by Diderot)

Question 9

When did the first volume of the Encyclopaedia appear? When did the last of 35 appear?

Answer 9

1752

1780

Question 10

Aim of the philosophes

Answer 10

To apply rational analysis to all activities

Question 11

What were philosophes not prepared to accept?

Answer 11

Tradition or revelation
The literal interpretation of the Bible
Anything that could not be explained by reason - miracles

Question 12

What were philosophes more in favour of than of equality?

Answer 12

Liberty of the press, speech, trade

Freedom from arbitrary arrest

Question 13

Who were the main objects of the Philosophes’ attack?

Answer 13

The Church

Despotic government

Question 14

Why did the philosophes condemn the Catholic Church?

Answer 14

It was wealthy, corrupt and intolerant

Question 15

What was Voltaire’s cry to the Church?

Answer 15

“Crush the infamous”

Question 16

Why were the philosophes not revolutionary?

Answer 16

While critical of many aspects of the regime, they were not essentially opposed to it

Question 17

How did the philosopes have an impact on the outbreak of the Revolution?

Answer 17

Attacked assumptions on which the regime was based

Undermined the position of the Church and the role of the King as God’s servant

Question 18

Although not revolutionary themselves, who did the Philosophes ideas influence?

Answer 18

Many who would become revolutionary