Roots of the Enlightenment
What period of scientific discovery inspired the Enlightenment?
The Scientific Revolution
Who wrote Two Treatises of Government and believed in “life, liberty, and property”?
John Locke
What did John Locke call the idea that people give government permission to rule?
The consent of the governed
The Earth is the center of the universe, and everything revolves around it
Geocentric
What was another name for the Enlightenment?
The Age of Reason
What type of ruler had complete control over their kingdom during the 1600s–1700s?
An absolute monarch
Who wrote The Spirit of the Laws and believed government power should be divided?
Baron de Montesquieu
What did Montesquieu mean by “separation of powers”?
Government should be divided into three branches — legislative, executive, and judicial — to prevent abuse of power
The sun is the center of the universe and everything revolves around it
Heliocentric
What key question did Enlightenment thinkers ask about government?
“What is the best way for government to rule its people?”
How did increased literacy and printing contribute to the Enlightenment?
Books spread new ideas, allowing philosophers’ writings to reach more people
Who wrote The Social Contract and believed in the “general will” of the people?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
What did Rousseau’s “social contract” say citizens must do?
Citizens agree to follow the general will and laws made by the government in exchange for protection of their rights
Who discovered the Law of Gravitation?
Sir Issac Newton
How did Enlightenment ideas challenge the Catholic Church?
They rejected faith-based authority and emphasized reason and individual thought
How did the Protestant Reformation challenge the Catholic Church’s power?
It encouraged people to read and interpret the Bible themselves, weakening Church control
Which French philosopher defended freedom of speech and religion, saying, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”?
Voltaire
According to Locke, when does a government lose its right to rule?
When it fails to protect people’s natural rights
Used the telescope to support heliocentrism.
Galileo
What two revolutions were directly inspired by Enlightenment ideals?
The American Revolution and French Revolution
What role did urbanization and coffeehouses play in the spread of Enlightenment ideas?
They provided social spaces for intellectual debate, helping spread new political and philosophical ideas
Which Enlightenment writer edited a 28-volume Encyclopédie compiling scientific and philosophical knowledge?
Denis Diderot
What did Enlightenment thinkers mean by “natural rights”?
Rights that all humans are born with — including life, liberty, and property
Explain how the Scientific Revolution led to the Enlightenment
It encouraged people to use reason, observation, and science to understand society and government, not just nature.
How did Enlightenment ideas continue to influence later social and political movements?
They inspired democracy, human rights, and equality movements worldwide