Reason

The power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments logically, often used during the Enlightenment to challenge traditional beliefs and promote knowledge through evidence and logic.

oppress

To treat a person or group in a harsh and unfair way by using power or authority.

Heresy

A belief or opinion that goes against the official teachings of a religion, especially in Christianity.

Hereditary

Something passed down from parents to their children, often referring to titles, traits, or property.

Clergy

Religious leaders, such as priests or ministers, who perform religious services.

Traditional

Customs, beliefs, or practices that are passed down through generations and followed over time.

Scientific Revolution

A period in the 16th and 17th centuries when new ideas in science changed the way people understood the world, leading to modern science.

Scientific Method

A process used by scientists to test ideas through experiments, observations, and analysis.

Observation

The act of carefully watching or noticing something in order to gather information or data.

Geocentric

The belief that the Earth is at the center of the universe, with the Sun and planets revolving around it.

Heliocentric

The idea that the Sun is at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets revolving around it.

Nicolai Copernicus

A scientist who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system, challenging the geocentric view.

Galileo Galilei

A scientist who supported Copernicus' heliocentric theory and made important discoveries using a telescope

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries focused on reason, science, and individual rights.

Natural Rights

Basic rights that all humans are born with, such as life, liberty, and property, as argued by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke.

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker who argued that people have natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and that governments should protect these rights.

Consent

Agreement or permission given by the people for a government or leader to have authority over them.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the power of a government comes from the people, who have the right to rule themselves.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system of government where a king or queen’s power is limited by a constitution, and laws are made by elected officials.

Citizen

A member of a country who has rights and responsibilities under its laws.

Baron De Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who promoted the separation of powers in government (executive, legislative, judicial) to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Voltaire

A French Enlightenment writer who advocated for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Mary Wollstonecraft

An Enlightenment thinker and early advocate for women's rights, arguing that women should have the same rights and education as men.

Abolish

To formally put an end to something, such as a law or system (e.g., slavery).

Social contract

The idea that people agree to give up some of their freedoms to a government in exchange for protection and order; developed by thinkers like Locke and Rousseau.