27 Questions
According to Thomas Hobbes, why did people need to hand over their rights to a strong ruler?
To gain law and order
What did Thomas Hobbes call the agreement by which people created a government?
The Social Contract
What did the Enlightenment stress as the key to solving problems?
Individual power and reason
Who were the social critics of this period in France known as?
The philosophes
What did the philosophes believe could be discovered through reason or logical thinking?
Truth
Who was the most brilliant and influential of the philosophes?
Voltaire
According to John Locke, what are the natural rights that all people are born with?
Life, liberty, and property
What did John Locke believe was the purpose of government?
To protect the natural rights of its citizens
Which philosopher's belief that government's power comes from the consent of the people influenced modern democracy?
John Locke
According to Montesquieu, which country did he believe was the best-governed and most politically balanced of his own day?
Britain
What did Montesquieu propose would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government?
Separation of powers
Which book by Montesquieu became the basis for the United States Constitution?
On the Spirit of Laws
According to Rousseau, what is the only good form of government?
A direct democracy guided by the general will of society
What did Cesare Beccaria believe about the purpose of laws?
Laws exist to maintain social order
How did Rousseau's view of the social contract differ from Hobbes' view?
For Rousseau, the social contract was an agreement among free individuals to create a society and a government, while for Hobbes, it was an agreement between a society and its government
What did Rousseau believe about a girl's education?
It should focus on teaching her how to be a helpful wife and mother.
Who published the essay 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' in 1792?
Mary Wollstonecraft
What did Mary Wollstonecraft argue about women's education in her essay?
It should prioritize women's education over men's education.
Which Enlightenment thinker believed in the divine right of monarchs and the union of church and state?
Thomas Hobbes
Who was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and went on to write the classic novel Frankenstein?
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Which Enlightenment thinkers were mainly focused on the world of ideas and popularized new theories?
The philosophes
Which of the following is true about Adam Smith's theory?
It emphasized the importance of individuals acting in their own self-interest
Who were interested in the ideas of the philosophes during the Enlightenment?
The kings and queens of Europe
What did some kings and queens of Europe seek to do with the ideas of the philosophes?
Apply them to create progress in their countries
During the Enlightenment, people began to question openly their religious beliefs and the teachings of the church is evidence for which outcome of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment?
The rise of a more secular outlook
Who sought to reveal God's majesty through his work but caused people to change the way they thought about God?
Isaac Newton
Which outcome of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment emphasized the importance of the individual in society?
The rise of individualism
Study Notes
Thomas Hobbes
- People needed to hand over their rights to a strong ruler to escape the state of nature, a war of all against all.
- Called the agreement by which people created a government a "social contract".
The Enlightenment
- Stressed reason as the key to solving problems.
- Social critics in France were known as "philosophes".
- Philosophes believed that truths about the natural world and human societies could be discovered through reason and logical thinking.
John Locke
- Believed that all people are born with natural rights, including life, liberty, and property.
- Thought the purpose of government was to protect these natural rights.
- Argued that government's power comes from the consent of the people, influencing modern democracy.
Montesquieu
- Believed that England was the best-governed and most politically balanced country of his day.
- Proposed the idea of separation of powers to keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government.
- Wrote "The Spirit of Laws", which became the basis for the United States Constitution.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Believed that the only good form of government was direct democracy.
- Thought that people were inherently good, but were corrupted by society.
- Believed that girls should be educated in domestic skills and morality.
Cesare Beccaria
- Believed that the purpose of laws was to punish criminals, not to inflict suffering.
Mary Wollstonecraft
- Published the essay "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" in 1792.
- Argued that women's education should focus on reason, morality, and independence.
Other Enlightenment Thinkers
- Voltaire, Denis Diderot, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were among the philosophes who popularized new theories.
- Adam Smith's theory emphasized the "invisible hand" of the market, which self-regulates and promotes economic efficiency.
Impact of the Enlightenment
- People began to question openly their religious beliefs and the teachings of the church.
- Caused people to think more critically about the role of the individual in society.
- God became seen as a benevolent creator, rather than a fearful authority figure, as a result of the work of Isaac Newton.
Test your knowledge of the Enlightenment and its impact on society with this quiz. Explore the key ideas, thinkers, and events of this intellectual movement that emphasized reason and challenged traditional beliefs about government, religion, economics, and education.
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