Absolutism
Define absolutism
A political system in which a ruler claims to hold total power
Define the Enlightenment
A period of intellectual and cultural flourishing in Europe characterized by reason, evidence, individual liberty, tolerance, and natural rights.
What were the two religious sides fighting during the Thirty Years War?
Protestants and Catholics
Who first theorized gravity?
What is a negative quality of absolutism?
Abuses of power
The belief that the power of the monarchs come from God and is absolute.
What is the separation of powers?
Form of government in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches limit and control each other through a system of checks and balances.
How did the Puritans weaken the monarchy in England?
Established the rule of law which governs the people as well as the English monarchs.
English Bill of Rights
Who developed the heliocentric model?
Nicolaus Copernicus
Who was the Puritan leader of Parliament the became Lord Protector of England?
Oliver Cromwell
Name three absolute monarchs.
Frederick the Great, Joseph II, Frederick William the Great Elector, Catheringe II, Louis XIV, Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible.
What did checks and balances prevent?
Abuses of power by one branch of government
Which country took up the Catholic cause as their own?
Francis Bacon
Which English philosopher believed it was necessary to have a strong king to maintain order?
John Hobbes
What is an enlightened absolutist?
A ruler who tried to govern by enlightened principles while maintaining full royal control.
Define natural rights
The rights people are born with.
How did nobles changing their religion affect monarchies?
It caused a power struggle between the nobles and kings who practiced different faiths.
What idea did Rene Descartes promote?
Rationalism
Who had the most power after the Glorious Revolution?
Parliament
Name an enlightened absolutist and what they did to be considered enlightened.
Frederick the Great, Joseph II, Catherine the Great
What is the social contract?
The concept that an entire society agrees to be governed by its general will and all individuals should be forced to abide by it since it represents what is best for the entire community.
How might the Edict of Nantes have weakened the French monarchy?
It gave more freedom of religion to nobles and ended the religious unity between the king and his subjects.
Who developed the idea of planetary movement?
Johannes Kepler
What is a positive quality of absolutism?
No bureaucracy; streamlined decisions.