Science & Enlightenment Flashcards
What did Europeans see the universe as prior to the Scientific Revolution?
-Geocentric (Earth-centered)
- Around the Earth there were other spheres containing the moon
- Stars, Sun, & moon were pure “orbs of light”
What were characteristics of the Enlightenment?
-Satirical, Skeptical, & hostile to established authorities
- Attacked arbitrary government, divine right, & aristocratic privileges
- Opposed established religion
- Emphasis on equality and rationalism
What were many Enlightenment followers religious beliefs?
A few were atheist but more were deists or pantheists
What was Deism?
Belief in the existence of a God/Creator but a REJECTION of traditional organized religion
What was Deism based on?
Reason/Science opposed to superstitions/miracles
What were Adam Smith’s beliefs?
Economic laws which explain wealth and prosperity for everyone. (Trust rational individuals to do what is best for themselves)
What was John Locke’s belief?
A government chosen by rational people such as a republic ( Trust individuals to make rational choices for their leaders)
What were Voltaire’s beliefs?
Tolerance and acceptance of speech, religion, etc. for everyone
What was Mary Wollstonecraft’s belief?
No rational reason to have inequalities between men and women
What was the rationale for enlightened Europeans to participate in systems of oppression?
“Science” and “Nature” made white men superior to everyone else?
What’s an example of oppression by enlightened Europeans upon an “inferior” group?
The Declaration of Independence because it equality for wealthy white men, but that doesn’t extend to women, African slaves, or indigenous tribes
Why did the Enlightenment occur in Europe?
- Protestant Reformation
- Fragmented & competing centers of power made it more acceptable to challenge authority
How did the Protestant Reformation lead to the Enlightenment in Europe?
-High rates of literacy
- Rebellious & “free thinking” attitudes
What are examples of competing centers of power which made it more acceptable to challenge authority in Europe in the 1450s-1750s?
-Kings
- Universities
- Merchant Guilds
- Branches of Protestantism
Why didn’t the Enlightenment occur in China?
- Chinese education based around Confucianism
- Was more interested in practical science like calendars, maps, and astronomy
