1. What is “The Enlightenment?” Late 1600s- Early 1700s and beyond A new educational movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of the individual to solve problems. In response to the Scientific Revolution of the 1500-1600s. Became known as the “Age of Reason.”

2. Natural Law Natural Law —rules discovered by reason, governed scientific forces such as gravity. People started to ask: “Why not apply natural law to social, economic and political problems?”

3. Questioning the King’s Authority to Rule Divine Right of Kings —The belief that a monarch’s authority to rule comes from God. Absolute Monarch —Ruler with complete authority over the government and the lives of people he/she governs. Absolute Monarchies in Europe (1550-1800): France, Spain, England, Austria, Prussia, Russia As people began to rely more on individual thought, they began to question why the king had power over them.

5. The Philosophes Philosophe--the French word for philosopher. They believed they could apply reason to all aspects of life including government.