A
Which statement best describes the beliefs of the Enlightenment thinkers?
a) They had faith that absolute monarchs would govern wisely and fairly.
b) They believed that science and reason could improve people’s lives.
c) They believed religion alone could answer all questions about life.
d) They believed that the ancient Greeks and Romans knew all there was to know.
b) They believed that science and reason could improve people’s lives.
Which groups played the greatest role in the Enlightenment?
a) peasants and farmers
b) soldiers and military leaders
c) scientists and philosophers
d) explorers and adventurers
c) scientists and philosophers
. How did the Enlightenment differ from the Renaissance?
a) During the Enlightenment, kings and queens no longer held power.
b) During the Enlightenment, governments always treated the poor and the rich equally.
c) During the Enlightenment, Europe became less powerful than America.
d) During the Enlightenment, people increasingly looked to science and reason to answer their questions about the natural world
d) During the Enlightenment, people increasingly looked to science and reason to answer their questions about the natural world
In which part of the world did the Enlightenment begin?
a) Europe
b) Asia
c) the United States
d) South America
a) Europe
Which of the following best describes Isaac Newton?
a) influential scientist
b) father of democracy
c) friend of the poor peasants
d) leader of religious thought
a) influential scientist
Newton’s theory of gravity draws what conclusion?
a) People descended from apes.
b) A natural force pulls objects toward Earth.
c) The monarch does not rule by divine right.
d) Eating at least one apple each day promotes good health.
b) A natural force pulls objects toward Earth.
Why is René Descartes known as the “father of modern philosophy”?
a) He wrote a new constitution for his country.
b) He plotted to overthrow the monarch.
c) He used reason to ask questions and find truths.
d) He discovered medicines that improved health.
c) He used reason to ask questions and find truths.
Descartes encouraged people to doubt everything except
a) the word of the Church.
b) a monarch’s right to rule.
c) their own existence.
d) the law.
c) their own existence.
Which of the following ideas is associated with Thomas Hobbes?
a) I think, therefore I am.
b) tabula rasa
c) life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
d) the need for a strong government
d) the need for a strong government
Which statement best describes Thomas Hobbes’s conclusions about human nature?
a) People are naturally selfish and greedy.
b) Given the choice, people will help one another.
c) People in a society are naturally peaceful.
d) Given the choice, people will help only family members.
a) People are naturally selfish and greedy.
Which type of government did Thomas Hobbes support?
a) an absolute monarchy
b) a monarch whose power is limited by a parliament
c) democracy with government officials elected by the people
d) no government
a) an absolute monarchy
Which did Hobbes consider most important for a strong society?
a) human rights
b) law and order
c) exploration and discovery
d) scientific research
b) law and order
What did John Locke consider a government’s most important duty?
a) to force all citizens to practice a single religion
b) to expand the nation’s borders
c) to avoid war and promote world peace
d) to protect the natural rights of citizens
d) to protect the natural rights of citizens
Locke believed that a good government gets its power from
a) God.
b) the people.
c) military strength.
d) a strict monarch.
b) the people.
According to Locke, which of the following is true?
a) People are born naturally greedy and selfish.
b) People are born with no rights whatsoever.
c) Some people are born good while others are born evil.
d) People develop their ideas through life experiences.
d) People develop their ideas through life experiences.
Why did Voltaire write under a pen name?
a) He could get in trouble for speaking against the French monarchy.
b) He did not think anyone would buy a book he had written.
c) He was embarrassed by his ideas.
d) French noblemen were not allowed to write books.
a) He could get in trouble for speaking against the French monarchy.
What was Montesquieu’s purpose in writing The Persian Letters?
a) to promote friendship between Persia and France
b) to encourage Persian travelers to visit France
c) to criticize French government and society
d) to encourage a revolution in Paris
c) to criticize French government and society
John Locke’s ideas were considered radical because he
a) said that people had the right to overthrow a bad government.
b) was a friend and tutor to King Charles II.
c) left his home in England to live in Paris.
d) had ideas that differed from those of Thomas Hobbes.
a) said that people had the right to overthrow a bad government.
How did John Locke feel about England’s Glorious Revolution?
a) He was against it because it gave too much power to the monarch.
b) He supported it because it created a stronger Parliament and a bill of rights.
c) He opposed any form of rebellion.
d) He was disappointed because it did not provide total democracy.
b) He supported it because it created a stronger Parliament and a bill of rights.
Both Locke and Hobbes lived through a period in English history that brought
a) many political struggles between Parliament and the monarchy.
b) a better way of life for all citizens.
c) the collapse of the British Empire.
d) total democracy.
a) many political struggles between Parliament and the monarchy.
Which of the following did Voltaire most value?
a) an orderly society with strictly enforced laws
b) the freedom to express one’s opinions
c) living according to the religious teachings of the Church
d) loyalty to the crown
b) the freedom to express one’s opinions
The French philosophes were
a) scholars and thinkers who considered ways to achieve a better society.
b) monarchs who refused to give up total control.
c) peasants and poor farmers who launched a revolt against the monarchy.
d) noble men and women of the French court.
a) scholars and thinkers who considered ways to achieve a better society.
Which of John Locke’s ideas influenced the American patriots’ decision to fight a war for independence from Great Britain?
a) People are the way they are because of their experiences in life.
b) One’s mind at birth is like a blank sheet of paper.
c) People should rebel against a government that does not protect their rights.
d) People learn about their world through their senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
c) People should rebel against a government that does not protect their rights.
Who was known as an American philosophe?
a) George Washington
b) Benjamin Franklin
c) Thomas Hobbes
d) René Descartes
b) Benjamin Franklin
Which of Montesquieu’s ideas greatly influenced the organization of the U.S. government, as outlined in the Constitution?
a) A government needs strict laws to keep people in order.
b) The use of reason helps people understand the world.
c) A separation of powers will keep any one branch of government from becoming too strong.
d) People must question everything except their own existence.
c) A separation of powers will keep any one branch of government from becoming too strong.