4.3 The Enlightenment
Atheism
The denial of the existence of God
Capitalism
an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the government.
Salons
gatherings in which intellectual and political ideas were exchanged during the Enlightenment
Reason
the application of the scientific method to the understanding of all life
Natural Rights
the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property
Cultural Relativism
the practice of judging a culture by its own standards,
Empiricism
the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation
Enlightenment
A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.
Phisiocrats
18th century economic reformers who wanted to replace the theory of mercantilism with free-trade capitalism.
Rationalism
A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response
Deism
A popular Enlightenment era belief that there is a God, but that God isn't involved in people's lives or in revealing truths to prophets.
Social Contract
A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.
New Skepticism
Enlightened idea in which someone would have a skeptical attitude toward attempts to enforce religious conformity
Philisophes
French Thinkers who desired reform in society during the Enlightment.