AP European History Flashcards: The Age of Progress and Modernity
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 11 cards to help you master important concepts.
If a 19th-century intellectual argued that truth can only be found through empirical, scientific observation, what philosophy would they be supporting?
They would be supporting Positivism, which held that science alone provides knowledge through rational and scientific analysis.
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If a 19th-century intellectual argued that truth can only be found through empirical, scientific observation, what philosophy would they be supporting?
They would be supporting Positivism, which held that science alone provides knowledge through rational and scientific analysis.
What belief about progress was fueled by philosophers like Nietzsche and Sorel?
Their emphasis on irrationality and impulse contributed to the belief that conflict was a necessary component for achieving progress.
A political theorist in 1910 claims that great nations are forged through war, not diplomacy. This idea reflects which philosophical trend of the era?
This reflects the trend emphasizing irrationality and impulse, which contributed to the belief that conflict leads to progress.
Name two specific scientific developments that challenged the Newtonian worldview.
Quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity were key developments that undermined the established Newtonian description of nature.
How did the focus of intellectual disciplines change overall between 1815 and 1914?
Intellectual disciplines shifted from a confidence in rationalism and objective science towards an increasing focus on irrationality, subjectivity, and impulse.
What major shift occurred in philosophy during the period from 1815 to 1914?
Philosophy largely moved from rational interpretations of the world to an emphasis on irrationality and impulse.
What common theme connects the new ideas in philosophy (Nietzsche), psychology (Freud), and physics (Einstein)?
A common theme was the questioning and undermining of established certainties, whether in human rationality, the conscious mind's control, or the objective laws of the universe.
What was the core tenet of Freudian psychology regarding the human mind?
The core tenet was the struggle between the conscious and subconscious, highlighting the significant role of the irrational in human nature.
What was the impact of quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity on physics?
These developments in the natural sciences undermined the primacy of Newtonian physics as an objective and complete description of nature.
How did Freudian psychology offer a new perspective on human nature?
Freudian psychology provided a new account of human nature that emphasized the role of the irrational and the struggle between the conscious and subconscious.
What is Positivism?
Positivism is the philosophy that science alone provides knowledge, emphasizing the rational and scientific analysis of nature and human affairs.