Key Historical and Philosophical Concepts

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despot

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a ruler with absolute power

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geocentric

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the belief that the earth is at the center of the universe, with the sun and stars revolving around it

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heliocentric

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the belief that the sun is at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets revolving around it

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natural rights

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the concept that basic freedoms are given by God, not government, and therefore cannot be taken away by government

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political thought

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the ideas that shaped the development of government systems

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rationalism

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the theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than religious beliefs or emotions

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scientific method

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a systematic process for studying science through predicting based on observation, and experiments to test those predictions

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separation of powers

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the concept that government should be divided into branches with the power shared among the branches so that no branch would have total control over the others

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social contract

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the agreement of the people giving the government power in exchange for the government protecting the rights of the people

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1492

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the year of Columbus' first voyage to the New World.