04 The Enlightenment Free Online FlashCards

What was the Enlightenment?

A diverse intellectual movement that flourished in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

How did Enlightenment thinkers apply reason to society?

They used evidence and critical inquiry to examine human affairs, question claims based only on tradition or authority, and consider how society might improve.

Which natural rights did John Locke identify?

People possessed natural rights, including life, liberty, and property.

How did Montesquieu propose protecting political liberty?

Dividing legislative, executive, and judicial powers could prevent power from concentrating in one place and help protect political liberty.

What freedoms did Voltaire defend?

Voltaire criticized religious intolerance and defended freedom of thought and expression.

What was Rousseau’s view of legitimate political authority?

He explored the social contract and argued that legitimate political authority should reflect the people’s collective will.

Did Enlightenment thinkers share one political doctrine?

There was no single Enlightenment doctrine: thinkers disagreed about rights, political power, and the best form of society.

How did Enlightenment arguments change views of society?

They treated society as an arrangement that could be criticized and changed, rather than simply as a fixed hierarchy.

Who was often excluded from Enlightenment-era rights and political power?

Women, poor people, enslaved people, and colonized populations were often excluded from political power or denied rights described as universal.

Which print and written formats helped Enlightenment ideas circulate?

Books, pamphlets, newspapers, letters, and translations carried ideas to readers, including those far from where arguments began.

What role did salons play in Enlightenment debate?

Salons were gatherings hosted in private homes, often by women, where writers and other participants met for conversation.

How did censorship affect the circulation of Enlightenment works?

Censorship and publishing restrictions sometimes led authors and printers to circulate works discreetly or across borders.