Deck 22: The Age of European Enlightenment

Question 1

The political thinkers during the Age of Enlightenment provided philosophical support for all of the following forms of government except (Global Perspective, pp. 538-539)

A) totalitarianism.
B) socialism.
C) absolutism.
D) constitutional monarchy.

Answer 1

totalitarianism.

Question 2

A major champion of empirical induction was

A) Aristotle.
B) Descartes.
C) Newton.
D) Bacon.

Answer 2

Bacon.

Question 3

Most Europeans saw Islam as

A) an interesting subject of research.
B) a form of polytheism.
C) a valid religion but not suitable for their lives.
D) a rival to Christianity.

Answer 3

a rival to Christianity.

Question 4

Adam Smith is associated with

A) government control of the economy.
B) mercantilism.
C) the forces of religion.
D) laissez-faire economic thought.

Question 5

According to Rousseau (Document, pp. 552-553), the respective roles of men and women

A) are complimentary, although men play a much more important role in society than women.
B) are characterized by the domination of men; women have no viable part in social life.
C) have historically been based on mutual agreement.
D) are completely separate, with only minimal contact between the two sexes.

Question 6

Enlightened absolutism is a term used to describe

A) the policies of rulers who strengthened central administration to attempt enlightened reforms.
B) the philosophical movement to discover the ideal state.
C) the discovery of scientific truth through empirical methods.
D) the proper educational program for prospective European rulers.

Question 7

Which of these reforms was carried out by Joseph II?

A) abolition of serfdom
B) reform of manorial courts
C) tax reform
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 8

What is the Enlightenment model of society, and why has it become so influential in the West?
Conceptual

Question 9

What was the Scientific Revolution, and why is that term in some ways a misnomer?
Conceptual

Question 10

How did the Enlightenment change basic Western attitudes toward reform, faith, and reason? What were the major formative influences on the philosophes? How important were Voltaire and the Encyclopedia in the success of the Enlightenment?
Conceptual

Question 11

What are the ideological links between Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Brahe? Explain how each of these philosophers built upon the work of his predecessors.
Conceptual

Question 12

What is the reputation for which Francis Bacon is largely acclaimed, and how do his actual accomplishments differ from those for which he is famous?
Conceptual

Question 13

What roles did women play in the world of the Scientific Revolution? How and why were a few women able to transcend these roles?
Conceptual

Question 14

What were some of John Locke's most important ideas? Most specifically, discuss his views contained in Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Two Treatises of Government, and Letter Concerning Toleration. How would you evaluate John Locke's influence on modern thought?
Conceptual

Question 15

Why does the text argue that Voltaire was by far the most influential of the philosophes?
Conceptual

Question 16

Why did the philosophes consider organized religion to be their greatest enemy? Discuss the basic tenets of deism. How did deists try to improve upon traditional Christian beliefs?
Conceptual

Question 17

Discuss the economic ideas of mercantilism and compare and contrast those ideas with the ideas of Adam Smith. Which set of ideas is more influential today?
Conceptual

Question 18

Discuss the political views of Montesquieu and Rousseau. Was Montesquieu's view of England accurate? Does contemporary America fit his model of separation of powers? Was Rousseau a child of the Enlightenment or its enemy? Which did he value more, the individual or society?
Conceptual

Question 19

Construct a debate between Rousseau and Montesquieu. How would each thinker criticize the other's plan for reform? Which philosophy do you prefer?
Conceptual

Question 20

How well do the terms "enlightened' and "absolutist" fit the policies of rulers such as Frederick II, Catherine II, and Joseph II? What do you think motivated their reforms? What does the partition of Poland indicate about the spirit of "enlightened absolutism"?
Conceptual

Question 21

How did Enlightenment thinkers view the role of women? How much, if at all, did the Enlightenment affect the position of women in European society? Was their treatment of women a continuation or departure from their other beliefs?
Conceptual

Question 22

How did Europeans tend to view themselves in relation to the other peoples of the world? What do you think were the major bases for this belief? What role did the Enlightenment play in changing Europeans' perceptions of their role in the world?
Conceptual

Question 23

Discuss the contributions made by women to the Scientific Revolution. What limited the participation of women in scientific endeavors?
Conceptual

Question 24

Discuss European attitudes toward Islam during the Enlightenment. Did the philosophes' animosity toward Christianity affect their perception of the Muslim religion? How much did they actually know about contemporary Muslim society and culture?
Conceptual

Question 25

Compare and contrast the Ptolemaic and the Copernican systems. Are they different from a technical or a conceptual perspective? What are the philosophical and religious implications of embracing one or the other?
Conceptual

Question 26

Why is the Encyclopedia such a revolutionary work in the history of Western culture? What made this work so popular? Why did the French government and reactionary forces try to stop the publication and distribution of this work? What political impact did it have?
Conceptual

Question 27

What is the connection between the discoveries of the Scientific Revolution and the development of deism? Was science essentially anti-Christian? Did early scientists have any religious concerns? Why do you think the intellectuals from the Enlightenment embraced deism rather than atheism?
Conceptual