The Enlightenment
How did Thomas Hobbes describe human beings in their natural state?
Cruel, greedy, and selfish; willing to do anything to get what they wanted.
What ideas did Jefferson include in the Declaration of Independence that echo the beliefs of John Locke?
All citizens have natural rights to life and liberty; when a government does not grant those rights, the people have the right to change or overthrow it. The government gets its power from the people.
Who was an American philosophe?
Benjamin Franklin
What opinion did Montesquieu and Voltaire share about the English government?
Both admired England's limited monarchy and supported such a system for France.
Compare and contrast the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. How were they similar? How did they differ?
Both reacted against the medieval period, with its reliance on authorities such as church and king. Renaissance thinkers looked mainly to the literature and arts of ancient Greece and Rome for ideas and answers. Enlightenment thinkers turned to science and reason. They did build on the work of some Renaissance scientists, such as Copernicus and Galileo.
How did the government of eighteenth-century France censor Voltaire's criticisms?
By imprisonment in the Bastille, exile, book burning, and book banning.
If a government failed to protect citizens' rights, what did Locke suggest the people do?
Change the government and replace it with one that would protect their rights.
What happened during the Glorious Revolution, and what did Locke think of it?
During the Glorious Revolution the English Parliament drove out an absolute monarch, King James II. Parliament replaced him with 2 constitutional monarchs, William and Mary. Locke was strongly in favor of the revolution and even became an advisor to Mary.
What part of the world did the Enlightenment begin?
Europe
What kind of government did Hobbes favor and what did he consider most important for a strong society?
He favored a strong government with strict laws to keep people from fighting each other (a monarch). For a strong society he believed there had to be law and order.
Why do we call Descartes the father of modern philosophy?
He introduced a new way of thinking about what we know and how we know it. He insisted on using reason.
How did Descartes change the way people thought about their world?
He showed people how to use observation and reason to find truths, rather than accepting them on faith alone. He encouraged people to question everything expect their own existence.
Who was Isaac Newton? What was the main idea in Newton's Principia?
He was one of the greatest scientists in history. Certain basic laws of nature were true for the whole physical world. These laws could be discovered through observation and reason.
What one thing was Descartes certain of?
His thoughts were his own, and they proved his existence.
How did Newton's work in science influence thinking in other areas of life?
His work encouraged people not to accept ideas on faith but to question and search for answers.
Why did Descartes choose to live in Holland for much of his life?
Holland allowed more freedom of thought and expression than other European countries.
What does the phrase tabula rasa mean and how is it connected to John Locke?
It means "blank slate"; Locke believed that the mind is a blank slate that is filled with and defined by experiences.
What was the Encyclopedia, and what did it have to do with the Enlightenment?
It was a 30-volume collection of the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. It was written by Voltaire and other philosophes
How did Locke's ideas about government and human nature differ from Hobbes's ideas about them?
Locke thought government should protect people's rights, while Hobbes believed government should be all-powerful in order to control human evil. Locke thought human nature was neither good nor bad; Hobbes thought humans were naturally selfish and warlike.
Why did Hobbes flee England?
Parliament seemed to be winning the struggle against the king. Hobbes worried that his ideas would cause him trouble if Parliament triumphed over the monarchy.
Who were French philosophes and what did they hope to achieve?
Scholars and thinkers who considered ways to achieve a better society.
Which groups of people played the greatest role in the Enlightenment?
Scientists and scholars
What aspects of U.S. government do we owe to the French thinker Montesquieu?
Separation of powers, checks and balances.
Why did Montesquieu keep his identity as author of The Persian Letters a secret?
The book made fun of the French ruling class. Montesquieu could have been thrown in prison for publishing these ideas.
What was the Enlightenment, and why did it have that name, and what did Enlightenment thinkers believe?
The enlightenment was a time in the 1700's in Europe when people began to question old ideas and search for knowledge. The name Enlightenment refers to the light of knowledge that supposedly replaces the darkness of superstition and ignorance. Enlightenment thinkers believed that science and reason could improve people's lives.
What did Voltaire value the most?
The freedom to express one's opinion
Where did Locke believe a good government got its power from?
The people
What Enlightenment ideas were included in the U.S. Constitution?
The people have unalienable rights. The government must "promote the general welfare" by protecting the rights of its citizens. Each branch of government can "check" certain acts by other branches.
How did events in England during the 1660's affect Hobbes?
The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 meant that Hobbes could publish freely. The plague and the fire caused people to turn to religion, and Hobbes's ideas fell out of favor.
What three natural rights did John Locke believe a government must protect?
The rights to life, liberty, and property
How did Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison know about Enlightenment ideas?
They read widely and studies science and foreign politics.