AP European History Flashcards: The Enlightenment
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 16 cards to help you master important concepts.
How did John Locke's political theories challenge the idea of the divine right of kings?
Locke argued that the state originated in the consent of the governed, which directly contradicted the principle that a monarch's power was granted by God.
Card 1 of 16
All Flashcards (16)
How did John Locke's political theories challenge the idea of the divine right of kings?
Locke argued that the state originated in the consent of the governed, which directly contradicted the principle that a monarch's power was granted by God.
Which Enlightenment thinker specifically argued for the exclusion of women from political life?
Despite the era's focus on equality, Jean-Jacques Rousseau offered controversial arguments to exclude women from political participation.
What was a primary cause of Enlightenment thought developing between 1648 and 1815?
A major cause was the application of the rational principles and methods of the Scientific Revolution to aspects of society and human institutions.
What were salons and coffeehouses in the context of the Enlightenment?
They were key institutions where a variety of people could gather to explore, discuss, and disseminate Enlightenment culture and ideas.
What is the social contract?
It is a political model, developed by thinkers like Locke and Rousseau, based on the concept that a state's authority originates from the consent of the governed.
What fundamental shift in thinking characterized the Enlightenment's approach to society and human institutions?
Enlightenment intellectuals, such as Voltaire and Diderot, applied the principles of the Scientific Revolution to analyze and understand society and human institutions.
According to political theorists like Locke, how was society composed?
They conceived of society as being composed of self-interested individuals, a departure from earlier models of a rigid, divinely ordered social hierarchy.
How did Adam Smith's economic ideas challenge the prevailing theory of mercantilism?
Smith challenged mercantilist theory by espousing new economic ideas that favored free trade and a free market over state-controlled wealth accumulation.
Who were Voltaire and Diderot?
They were prominent Enlightenment intellectuals who applied the rational principles of the Scientific Revolution to critique and understand society.
What was a significant consequence of Enlightenment thought on European society?
Enlightenment thought challenged traditional political structures, like divine right monarchy, and economic systems, like mercantilism, leading to significant societal change.
What is the principle of "consent of the governed"?
It is the political idea that a government's legitimacy and right to rule must be derived from the permission of the people it governs.
What are natural rights?
A concept central to the political models of Locke and Rousseau, suggesting that individuals are inherently endowed with certain fundamental rights.
How did Enlightenment thought contain contradictions regarding women's roles in society?
Despite the Enlightenment's principles of equality, influential intellectuals like Rousseau made controversial arguments for the exclusion of women from political life.
Who were two key thinkers who developed political models based on natural rights and the social contract?
John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were two prominent intellectuals who developed these new political models.
What was the influence of Enlightenment thought on European intellectual development?
The Enlightenment fostered a new focus on reason, individualism, and skepticism toward traditional authority, fundamentally shaping European intellectual life.
What economic system was challenged by the ideas of Adam Smith?
Mercantilist theory was the dominant economic system challenged by Smith's new ideas of free trade and a free market.