Ch. 17 age of reason

Natural Philosophy

John Locke, An early modern term for the study of the nature of the universe it's purpose and how it functioned it encompassed what we would call science today

Enlightenment

The influential intellectual and cultural movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries introduced new world view based on the use of reason scientific method and progress

Philosophes

A group of French intellectuals who proclaim that they were bringing light of knowledge their fellow creatures in the age of enlightenment

Copernican hypothesis

The idea that the sun not the earth was the center of the universe

General will

According to Rousseau the general will is sacred and absolute reacting the common interests of the people who have displaced the monarch as the holder of ultimate power it should always work for the common good

Public sphere

An idealized space that emerged in Europe during the Enlightenment where the public came together to discuss important issues relating to society economics and politics

Empiricism

The use of experiment and observation derived from sensory evidence to construct scientific theory or philosophy or knowledge created by Francis Bacon

Cameralism

View that monarchy was the best form of government that all elements of society should serve the Monarch and that in turn state should use in resources and authority to increase a public good

Rococo

A popular style in Europe in the 18 century known for its soft pastels ornate interiors sentimental portraits and starry eyed lovers protected by hovering cupids

Skepticism

Doubt about the truth of something

Separation of powers

Montesquieu the idea that despotism could be avoided when political power was divided and shared by a variety of classes and legal estates holding unequal rights and privileges

Salons

Regular social gatherings held by Rich parisian woman in their homes where philosophes and their followers met to discuss literature science and philosophy

Law of inertia

A law formulated by Galileo that states that motion not rest is the natural state of an object that an object continues in motion unless stopped by some external force

Reading revolution

But transition in Europe from a society where literacy consisted of patriarchal and communal reading of religious text to society where literacy was common place and reading materials was broad and diverse

Experimental method

Galileo proper way to explore the workings of the universe through experiments rather than speculation

Law of universal gravitation

Newton all objects attracted to another force of attraction is portional to the objects matter and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

Enlightened absolutism

Term coined by historians to describe the role of 18th century monarchs who without announcing their own absolute authority adopted Enlightenment ideals rationalism progress and tolerance

Haskalah

The Jewish enlightenment of the second half of the 18th century lead by the Russian philosopher Moses mendelssohn

Rationalism

A secular critical way of thinking in which nothing was to be excepted on faith and everything was to be submitted to reason

Cartesian dualism

Descartes view that all of reality could ultimately be reduced to mind and matter