Deeper into the Scientific Revolution
How did Galileo prove that objects of different weights fall at the same speed?
He experimented by dropping objects and measuring their fall, showing that motion follows laws of physics.
How did Enlightenment ideas influence the American Revolution?
They inspired colonists to demand rights and question the king’s authority.
What is one reason absolute monarchs resisted Enlightenment ideas?
Because they feared losing power if people demanded freedom and equality.
What did Enlightenment thinkers mean by “reason”?
The use of logic and critical thinking to solve problems and improve society.
How did the Enlightenment influence art and culture?
It inspired styles that celebrated reason, nature, and balance—like neoclassicism.
Why did the heliocentric theory upset both scientists and religious leaders at first?
It went against accepted science and Church teachings that Earth was the center of the universe.
What Enlightenment idea did the U.S. Declaration of Independence borrow from John Locke?
The idea that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What Enlightenment idea was most threatening to absolute monarchs?
The idea that government power comes from the consent of the governed.
Why did Enlightenment thinkers criticize the Catholic Church?
They believed the Church used superstition and power to control people instead of reason.
What is one Enlightenment idea found in modern democracy?
Government should protect individual rights and be based on the will of the people.
What was one major way the scientific method improved learning about nature?
It relied on evidence and experiments instead of old authorities or faith.
Which Enlightenment thinker would most agree with democracy and majority rule?
Who is Rousseau?
How did the Age of Absolutism set the stage for revolution?
Unfair rule and social inequality made people more open to Enlightenment ideas
How did Enlightenment ideas influence education?
They encouraged secular and scientific learning instead of religious-only schooling.
How did Enlightenment ideas change religion?
They encouraged religious tolerance and separation of church and state.
How did Newton’s ideas connect to the Enlightenment?
They showed that natural laws governed the universe, inspiring people to look for laws of human behavior too.
How did Enlightenment ideas spread across Europe and beyond?
Through books, pamphlets, and salons where thinkers discussed ideas.
What event in France showed the Enlightenment’s influence on government?
The French Revolution.
What did Adam Smith argue about how economies should work?
He believed in free markets guided by supply and demand, not government control.
What did thinkers of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment have in common?
They both used reason, evidence, and observation to challenge old ideas.
How did the Scientific Revolution lead to tension between faith and reason?
It encouraged explanations based on logic and evidence, which sometimes challenged religious beliefs.
How did Enlightenment thought challenge traditional gender roles?
Writers like Mary Wollstonecraft argued women should have equal rights and education.
How could the Enlightenment be seen as a cause of both progress and conflict?
It led to democratic reforms but also challenged old traditions and authority, causing upheaval.
How did Enlightenment ideas influence modern human rights movements?
They introduced ideas of equality, liberty, and justice that still inspire activism today.
What is one major way the Enlightenment still affects the world today?
It laid the foundation for modern science, democracy, and human rights.