The Enlightenment - AP European History

Enlightenment intellectuals. French term for the intellectual leaders of the movement.

Empiricism and skepticism. Questioned the reliability of human knowledge and causation.

Promoted secularism and criticized organized religion. Questioned religious dogma and promoted rational approaches to faith.

Freedom of speech and religion. Championed tolerance and fought against religious persecution.

Separation of powers. Proposed dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

To gather and disseminate knowledge. Aimed to compile all human knowledge in accessible format.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Outlined his theory of legitimate political authority and democracy.

Freedom of speech and religion. Championed tolerance and fought against religious persecution.

Separation of powers. Proposed dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Encyclopédie. A comprehensive collection of knowledge compiled with d'Alembert.

Mary Wollstonecraft. Argued for women's equal access to education and political rights.

Sapere aude (Dare to know). Encouraged intellectual courage and independent thinking.

Free-market economics. Introduced the concept of the 'invisible hand' in economics.

Natural rights and government's role to protect them. Argued people have inherent rights that governments must protect.

Belief in a rational God who created the universe. Rejected organized religion while maintaining belief in divine creator.

Tradition and authority. Questioned established institutions in favor of rational inquiry.

Need for a strong central authority. Believed life without government would be 'nasty, brutish, and short.'

General will. The collective will of the people as the basis of legitimate government.

Enlightenment intellectuals. French term for the intellectual leaders of the movement.

Voltaire. Satirical novel critiquing optimistic philosophy and social institutions.

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individualism. Emerged in 18th-century Europe, challenging traditional authority.

Promoted ideas of democracy and liberty. Laid intellectual groundwork for constitutional government and individual rights.

Challenged traditional authority. Promoted critical thinking over accepting inherited beliefs.

The mind is a blank slate at birth. Locke's theory that experience shapes all knowledge and personality.

Consent of the governed. Rejected divine right of kings in favor of popular sovereignty.

Society corrupts innate goodness. Famous for saying 'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.'

Universal principles governing human conduct. Discoverable through reason, forming the basis of human rights.

Rise of neoclassicism. Emphasized classical Greek and Roman ideals of beauty and order.

Human society could improve through reason. Optimistic view that rational thinking could solve social problems.