Johannes Kepler
Affirmed Copernicus’ findings and through complex math of his own, found that plants orbit in ellipses, not perfect circles
The transition in Europe from a society where literacy consisted of patriarchal and communal reading of religious texts to a society where literacy was commonplace and reading material was broad and diverse. Books also became less religious. So religious censorship increased
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
A French man who believed that Human beings are naturally good & free & can rely on their instincts. Government should exist to protect common good, and be a democracy. Similar ideas to John Locke. Idea of the social contract
Galileo Galilei
Built a telescope and observed that other planets and moons, existed, and weren’t just balls of light
Deism
Geocentric model of the universe
Every body in the galaxy circled around the earth, including the sun. This was the Catholic Churches view and presumed model of the universe in midevil europe
Mary Wollstonecraft
Contagious Diseases Act
This allowed police officers to arrest any woman they suspected to be a prostitute. They were then permitted to give that woman an examination to prevent the spread of STDs. This is state-sponsered sexual assault.
The body is made up of 4 substances: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and flem? Imbalance of these 4 lead to disease. This is where blood letting came from
Voltaire
Most famous French philosopher. Produced many works that criticized social and religious institutions of France. Supported religious tolerance, natural rights, but didn’t believe in democracy, only enlightened absolutism
a cheap apartment building often crammed with people created in response to the influx of people moving into cities
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Attacked mercantilist economics. Promoted laissez-faire, free-market economy, and supply-and-demand economics.
French thinkers
Ancient Greek doctor who advanced the humoral theory of the body
William Harvey
Further overturned Galen’s theory by proving how the circulatory system works
These new ideas from Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo are challenging established beliefs of the Catholic Church during the catholic counter reformation. The geocentric model fit nicely with scripture so the church stuck with it.
Atheism
Diderot defined it as someone who knows about god, but actively rejects his existence
Collaborated with other enlightened thinkers to edit and publish an encyclopedia that contained a rational explanation for everything.
The enlightenment
Enlightenment thinkers applied new methods of reasoning to politics, and human institutions
Urbanization
Thanks to new technologies, fewer people were required for farming, leading many to move to the cities.
Enlightened Absolutism
a system in which rulers tried to govern by Enlightenment principles while maintaining their full royal powers. Rulers only acted enlightened when it benefitted them.
Middle and upper classes had more income, rise in demand for goods increased. People began wanting larger homes and more privacy and new venues for leisure
Popes response to galieleo
Despite him being a devote catholic, the pope ruled him a heretic and placed him under house arrest. But his books were published after his death
Argued that natural rights were given by god, not a government, so a government couldn’t take them away. Therefore power originates with the people
Enlightenment views of religion
Overall, religion was increasingly viewed as a matter of private, rather than public concern. Structures of society grew increasingly secular.
Saw that the population was rising faster than the food supply, thought Europe was heading towards starvation
A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792)
Argued that women and men were equal, and anything women seemed inferior at, it was only because they had been denied education and opportunities by men
Salon
private drawing rooms where wealthy Parisian women would have intellectual discussions with aristocrats
Deductive reasoning
Using general principles to determine specific consitions
Nicolaus Copernicus
