The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution

Study Notes

The Enlightenment was an era in Europe marked by a focus on reason, individualism, and skepticism towards traditional authority, leading to significant advancements in various fields.

Thomas Hobbes: believed that strong government was necessary to prevent chaos in society and wrote "Leviathan" advocating for a powerful government to maintain social order.
John Locke: believed in natural rights like life, liberty, and property.
Montesquieu: French philosopher known for his theory of the separation of powers, which advocates for dividing government authority into distinct branches to prevent tyranny.
Voltaire: French Enlightenment thinker known for his advocacy of freedom of speech, religion, and separation of church and state, as well as his criticism of intolerance and injustice.

Philosophes: thinkers who promoted reason, science, and social progress during the Enlightenment.
Scientific Revolution: a time when people started using observation and experimentation to understand the world around them, leading to big discoveries in science and math.
Renaissance: a time in Europe when there was a renewed interest in art, literature, and learning from ancient times, leading to many important discoveries and creations.
Reformation: a time when people broke away from the Catholic Church to start their own branches of Christianity.

Constitutional Monarchy: a government where a monarch's powers are restricted by a constitution, sharing authority with an elected parliament.
Magna Carta: a document signed in 1215 in England that limited the power of the king and established certain rights for the people.
Bill of Rights: a list of fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens, often found in the constitutions of democratic countries.
Social Contract: an implicit agreement among members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, usually by sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection and order.
Natural Rights: rights that are inherent to human beings, not dependent on laws or customs, often including the rights to life, liberty, and property.
Separation of Powers: the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.
Despotism: a form of government where a single authority, such as a monarch or dictator, holds absolute power, often ruling oppressively and arbitrarily.

Insight: a deep understanding or realization of something.
Religious Tolerance: acceptance of different religious beliefs and practices, allowing individuals the freedom to worship as they choose without persecution.
Women of the Enlightenment: women who participated in the intellectual and cultural movement of the Enlightenment, advocating for women's rights, education, and equality, although their contributions were often marginalized or overlooked.

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