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Enlightenment Essay Questions Worksheet #1: Click here to print (PDF). Answers will vary.
1 Define the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was an intellectual and cultural movement in 17th- and 18th-century Europe that emphasized reason, individual rights, and scientific inquiry over tradition and religious authority. Enlightenment thinkers promoted liberty, progress, tolerance, and separation of church and state. Their ideas laid the foundation for modern democracies, inspired revolutions, and transformed education, politics, and economics through a belief in human reason and the pursuit of knowledge. 2 How did the Scientific Revolution contribute to the Enlightenment? The Scientific Revolution contributed to the Enlightenment by demonstrating the power of reason, observation, and experimentation in understanding the natural world. Thinkers like Galileo, Newton, and Copernicus challenged traditional beliefs and inspired confidence in human intellect. Their discoveries encouraged Enlightenment philosophers to apply scientific methods to society, politics, and human behavior, leading to new ideas about government, rights, and progress based on logic and evidence rather than tradition or superstition. 3 What did the Enlightenment contribute to the development of modern democracies? The Enlightenment contributed to modern democracies by promoting ideas such as individual rights, equality, and the separation of powers. Thinkers like Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau argued that governments should be based on the consent of the governed and protect natural rights. These principles influenced revolutions in America and France and helped shape constitutions, legal systems, and democratic institutions that value liberty, justice, and representative government. |
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Enlightenment Essay Questions Worksheet #2: Click here to print (PDF). Answers will vary.
1 How did Enlightenment ideas threaten the concept of absolute monarchy? Enlightenment ideas threatened absolute monarchy by challenging the belief that monarchs ruled by divine right. Thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu argued that power should be limited, shared, and based on laws created by the people. They emphasized natural rights, popular sovereignty, and checks and balances, all of which undermined the legitimacy of unchecked royal authority and inspired calls for constitutional government and political reform. 2 What is meant by the term "natural rights"? Natural rights are basic freedoms and entitlements that all people are believed to have simply by being human. Enlightenment thinkers, especially John Locke, argued that these include life, liberty, and property. Natural rights are considered universal and inalienable, meaning they cannot be justly taken away by governments. These ideas became a foundation for modern human rights and democratic principles. 3 Describe the enlightened despots. Enlightened despots were absolute rulers who embraced Enlightenment ideas to reform their governments and societies while maintaining their own power. Monarchs like Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, and Joseph II of Austria supported religious tolerance, education, legal reforms, and economic development. However, they often resisted sharing political power, using Enlightenment principles to strengthen their rule rather than to promote full democracy or equality. |
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