Chapter 17 Key Terms
Theologico-Political Treatise (1670)
Spinoza's book that anticipated much of the religious criticism of the Enlightenment, and showed that the Bible was not a source of theological knowledge, just divine legislation, which meant that Jews had to use their own reason in religious matters and read the Bible just like a history book
Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744)
18th-century English poet known for his satirical verses, his translation of Homer, and his use of the heroic couplet. Famous works: An Essay on Criticism, The Rape of the Lock, The Dunciad.
Neoclassical
A late 18th and early 19th century style in painting and artwork that emphasized an idealized version of classical (Greek and Roman) art.
Jaques-Louis David (1748-1825)
A leading artist of the age of neoclassicalism, he captured events such as the Tennis Court Oath and Napoleon's Coronation all in the grandeur of Rome
Denis Diderot Condemns European Empires
Ya'll have no right to any of the land you've claimed for your country
Marquise de Pompadour
The mistress of Louis XV who played a key role in overcoming efforts to censor the Encyclopedia and helped blocked the circulation of works attacking philosophes
Fanaticism or Mohammed the Prophet (1742)
Voltaire's opinions on Islam, which described the as fanatics.
Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)
A philosopher from the Netherlands that was excommunicated from Jewish synagogue, apantheist/monist who denied the possibilty of revealed religion and inspiration of scripture,and believed all governments to be unjust
Four-Stage Theory
Embedded within "The Wealth of Nations," this was the idea that human societies can be classified as one of the following: hunting/gathering, pastoral and herding, agricultural, and commercial. This was regarded as the passage of human society from barbarism to civilization.
Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719)
English essayist, poet, playwright and politician known primarily for his play, Cato, a Tragedy, and for co-founding the daily publication, The Spectator. Cato in particular was seen as a literary inspiration for the American Revolution.
Peter Grey
Freedom from arbitrary power, freedom of speech, freedom of trade, freedom to realize one's talents, freedom of aesthetic response, freedom, in a word, of moral man to make his way in the world.
Voltaire (Francios-Marie Arouet) (1694-1778)
French philosopher who is considered the "Father of Enlightenment". He believed that freedom of speech was the best weapon against bad government. He also spoke out against the corruption of the French government, and the intolerance of the Catholic Church.
Hotel
French term for Private residents for French Aristocracy.
Jean-Jacques Rosseau (1712-1778)
Philosopher and composer of the Enlightenment whose political ideas influenced the French Revolution, the development of both liberal and socialist theory, and the growth of nationalism.
Richard Steele (1672-1729)
Remembered for beginning the famous periodicals, The Tatler and The Spectator
Coffeehouses
These came to be known as new popular institutions of European social life during the 18th century Age of Enlightenment. Commonly, business, science, religion, and politics were all mentioned in caffeine fueled discussions in these places.
Ideas of Women
-Montesquieu believed women weren't inferior,but had a traditional view of marriage and family -The Encyclopedia suggested ways to improve women lives,but did emphasize how badly women needed reforms. It also included no articles written by women. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that women were subordinate to men and the sexes had their own separate spheres to live in. He however,said a mother role in the household was fundamental.
Parlements
15 sovereign courts in the french judicial system that checked the king's ability to tax and legislate arbitrarily
Claudine de Tencin (1689-1749)
1689-1749. French woman whose salon gave philosophes access to useful social and political contacts and a receptive environment. Promoted Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws.
Elements of the Philosophy of Newton (1738)
A book written by Voltaire and Emilie de Chatelet in 1738, that popularized the thought of Isaac Newton more than any other book across the continent
Julie de Lespinasse (1733-1776)
A French female author who was one of the more prominent figures, either hosting or visiting many salons. Every night for 12 years she hosted guests
Public Opinion
A body of attitudes, beliefs, and views pertaining to specific issues held by a significant proportion of a society.
Encyclopedia (1772)
A collaboration of many Enlightenment writers that aimed to gather together knowledge about science, religion, industry, and society.
Print Culture
A culture in which the volume of printed material including books, journals, newspapers, magazines greatest increased. This literary structure helped circulate the ideas of the philosophes which fostered the growth of the Enlightenment in Europe.
Physiocrats
A group of economists who urged the French government to deregulate the grain trade and make the tax system more equitable to encourage agricultural productivity. Claimed guilds should be abolished in order to establish a free market and strongly influenced Adam Smith.
Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792)
A political pamphlet, written by the 18th-century British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, which attacks aristocracy and advocates republicanism. Wollstonecraft's was the first response in a pamphlet war sparked by the publication of Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a defence of constitutional monarchy, aristocracy, and the Church of England.
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.
Rococo
A popular style in Europe in the eighteenth century, known for its soft pastels, ornate interiors, sentimental portraits, and starry-eyed lovers protected by hovering cupids.
Emilie de Chatelet (1706-1749)
Aided Voltaire in his composition of an important French popularization of Newton's science. Her knowledge of mathematics was more extensive than his and crucial to his completing the book
Marquis Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794)
An Italian aristocrat and philosophe who published "On Crimes and Punishment", in which he analyzed the problem of making punishments effective and just.
Fetes Galantes
Baroque and Rococo depiction of charming pastoral scenes, often in a pastel palette.
The Social Contract (1762)
Book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Argued that the right kind of political order could allow people to be truly moral and free; an individual can achieve freedom by giving up their freedom for the good of the community.
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776)
Book written by Gibbon which told that the growth of Christianity was the major reason for the collapse of Rome
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)
British feminist of the eighteenth century who argued for women's equality with men, even in voting, in her 1792 "Vindication of the Rights of Women."
Partition of Poland
Division of Polish territory among Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793, and 1795 it eliminated Poland as independent state and was part of expansion of Russian influence in eastern Europe.
Ethics
Closely identified God and nature, or the spiritual and material worlds. Baruch Spinoza was then condemned by his contemporaries
Marie-Therese Geoffrin (1699-1777)
Famous Salon hostess. Invited brilliant minds including Voltaire, Baron de Montesquieu, and Diderot. Made exchange of ideas fashionable.
Religion within the limits of Reason Alone (1793)
Immanuel Kant maintained that we need to position God as a foundation of morality,only the existence of a God who guarantees the duty of moral law will ultimately lead to happiness.This scandalized his Enlightenment friends by pointing to a radical evil that lies in human nature, an evil from which we can hope to free ourselves only on the assumption of a divine assistance. Also stated that human beings seem incapable of the kind of life they ought to lead apart from specific religious traditions and that true service to God involves only an ethically good life, not religious activities or beliefs
Philospohes
Intellectual thinkers of the Enlightenment. Include thinker like,Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, D'Alembert, Rosseau, Hume,Gibbon, Smith, Lessing, and Kant
Calas Affair
Jean Calas had been accused of murdering his son so he couldn't convert to roman Catholicism. He was viciously tortured and publicly strangled without confessing guilt. Word got out and reached Voltaire, causing him to write "treatise on Tolerance" and hounded the authorities for a new trial in 1765 Calas' charges were reversed.
Moses Mendelsohn (1729-1786)
Jewish philosopher of the eighteenth century. Named the "Jewish Socrates" that promoted the integration of Jews into modern European life. He argued that loyalty to a non-Christain religion did not harm loyalty to the government. His works include "Jerusalem"
Christianity not Mysterious (1696)
John Toland's famous work that said religion is natural and rational
Frederick the Great (1712-1786)
King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786. Enlightened despot who enlarged Prussia by gaining land from Austria when Maria Theresa became Empress. He believed in promotion by merit rather than birth, which was ironic due to the fact that he gained throne through birthright. He was religiously tolerate, and order a new codification of Prussian laws.
Nathan the Wise (1779)
Lessing's greatest play, story about a Jewish merchant whose wife and seven sons are massacred by the Christian crusaders. Raises a girl on three religions to show each faith is true only insofar as it makes its believer virtuous. was a grand plea for religious tolerance
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755)
Montequieu, wasa lawyer, noble of the robe, a member of a provincial parlement, and member of the Bordeaux Academy of Science. He was politicaly conservative, and believed in the division of power in government.
Candide (1759)
Novel written by Voltaire in response to the questioning of other writers against the pessimism present in his poem regarding the deadly earthquake of Lisbon in 1755. It was a satire attacking war, religious persecution, and what he considered unwarranted optimism.
David Hume (1711-1776)
Scottish philosopher. Considered a pioneering social scientist. In his work "Treatise on Human Nature", he argued that observation and reflection, grounded in systematized common sense made conceivable a "science of man".
Joseph II (1780-1790)
The Son of Maria Theresa and the Holy Roman Emperor of Austria. He ordered a new unified code of laws, applauded suppression of the Jesuits, required Austrian bishops to swear submission to him, launched ambitious educational reforms, pushed for religious toleration, tried to remove the burdens of serfdom in his lands, and encourage agricultural innovation. (Most of his reforms fell apart after his death due to resistant nobles who pushed his brother to revoke them.)
Immanuel Kant Defines Enlightenment
The enlightenment is a time to stop relying on others to think for you, and to start deciding, and thinking for yourself. Independence in thought, discover knowledge and truth for ourselves.
Catherine the Great
This was the empress of Russia who continued Peter's goal to Westernizing Russia, created a new law code, and greatly expanded Russia. She carried out limited reforms, and gave support to the rights and local power of nobility. She was an enlightened despot, and responsible for many positive changes in Russia.
Philosophical Dictionary (1764)
Volaire's work that pointed out inconsistencies in biblical narratives and immoral acts of biblical heroes, questioning the truthfulness of priests and morality of the Bible
Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776)
Was the most important economic work of the Enlightenment. It challenged assumption that earth's resources are limited so one nation can acquire wealth only at expense of others.Said natural resources as boundless, and nations need not be poor. Was written by Adam Smith
Turkish Embassy Letters (1763)
Where Lady Mary Wortley Montagu praised about Ottoman society and urged English to copy Turkish practice of vaccination against smallpox
Ecclesiastical Power and Judaism (1783)
Where Mendelsohn argued for religious toleration and the maintaining the religious distinction of Jewish communities.
On Crimes and Punishment (1764)
Written by Cesare Beccaria, this applied critical analysis to the problem of making punishments both effective and just.
Inquiry into Human Nature (1748)
Written by David Hume, this argued that no empirical evidence supported the existence of miracles central to much of Christianity.
Spirit of the Laws (1748)
Written by Montesquieu, this document outlined the concept of separation of powers
The Persian Letters (1721)
Written by Montesquieu, this satirized contemporary institutions using letters purportedly written by two Persians visiting Europe. The letters described how European behavior contrasted with Persian life.
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755)
Written by Rousseau, this blamed much of the evil in the world on the uneven distribution of property.
Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences (1750)
Written by Rousseau, this contented that the process of civilization and enlightenment had corrupted human nature.
Treatise on Tolerance (1763)
Written in 1763, this was Voltaire's first philosophical work which exposed the Calas Affair. He argued that the judges in the case used their anti-Huguenot prejudices to influence the case)He also criticized tolerance expressed by many different faiths.
Letters on the English (1733)
expressed admiration for English constitutional government and criticized the abuses of French absolutism.
