Key Terms & Definitions
This is a form of government where a single leader rules with total authority over all people.
What is an Absolute Monarchy?
Known as the "Sun King," he was the absolute monarch who famously declared, "L'état, c'est moi" ("I am the state").
Who is Louis XIV?
This Polish astronomer is credited with creating the Heliocentric theory, placing the Sun at the center of the solar system.
Who is Nicolaus Copernicus?
This English philosopher believed people are naturally self-interested and must surrender freedom to a strong, single authority in exchange for order.
Who is Thomas Hobbes?
This agreement, as defined by philosophers, is a contract between the rulers and the ruled, defining the rights and duties of each.
What is the Social Contract?
This intellectual and philosophical movement of the 18th century emphasized reason, individualism, and a skepticism of traditional authority.
What is the Enlightenment?
This Russian Tsar transformed his country through Westernization reforms, improving the military and modernizing the government.
Who is Peter the Great?
This Italian astronomer built a telescope and used observation to discover Jupiter's moons and the phases of Venus, supporting the heliocentric model.
Who is Galileo Galilei?
This French writer championed freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and famously said, "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Who is Voltaire?
These informal gatherings, often hosted by educated women, were places where philosophers and other educated people came together to talk and share ideas.
What are Salons?
This term describes a ruler who believes their power comes directly from God and is accountable only to God.
What is Divine Right?
This massive French palace was created by Louis XIV and became a key symbol of absolute power during the 17th and 18th centuries.
What is the Palace of Versailles?
This is the specific theory that places the sun at the center of the universe, directly challenging the Church's long-held geocentric view.
What is the Heliocentric Theory?
This philosopher argued that a government's primary purpose is to protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, and must operate with the consent of the governed.
Who is John Locke?
This event was the overthrow of King James II of England, replacing him with William and Mary, and resulting in the establishment of a limited monarchy.
What is the Glorious Revolution?
This type of government sees the power of the monarch limited by a constitution or established laws.
What is a Limited Monarchy (or Constitutional Monarchy)?
Name two specific ways this grand French palace symbolized the power and wealth of Louis XIV's absolute authority.
What are: 1) It kept a close eye on the nobility, and 2) It physically displayed Louis's power to the people?
This concept (or specific idea) is the foundation of the Scientific Revolution that ultimately led to the Enlightenment
What is the focus on observation/reason/experimentation (rather than relying on tradition or dogma)?
This French political philosopher developed the idea of dividing government into three branches (like the executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent one group from gaining too much power.
Who is Montesquieu?
This 1689 document formally established a limited monarchy in England by limiting the power of the king.
What is the English Bill of Rights?
This intellectual shift from the late 16th to the 18th century was characterized by significant advancements in scientific thought and methodology, often challenging the old order.
What is the Scientific Revolution?
This term describes how absolute monarchs began to adopt Enlightenment ideas, allowing for reforms like religious tolerance or better judicial systems, but still maintaining ultimate authority.
What is Enlightened Absolutism?
Name the specific way the Scientific Revolution was a challenge to the Church's authority.
What is: It focused on observation and reason, which contradicted the Church's traditional, faith-based perspective on the cosmos?
This philosopher argued that humans are naturally good but corrupted by society, and proposed that laws should be guided by the general will, or the collective desire of the people.
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
Name two connections between the 1689 English Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights.
What are: 1) Freedom of Speech (or debate in Parliament/Congress) and 2) Protection against cruel or unusual punishment 3) Right to a trial ?