Unit 4 Absolutism & Enlightenment

#1 Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government....Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence) The excerpt above illustrates which key Enlightenment idea?

• Natural Rights

• Due Process

• Separation of Power

• Social Contract

#2 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence) The excerpt above illustrates which key Enlightenment idea?

• Due Process

• Natural Rights

• Social Contract

• Separation of Power

For the following example decide if it is an example or non-example of Absolutism.

#3 Like King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella before him, King Phillip II of Spain centralized royal power,making all parts of the government responsible to him. He had complete authority over the government and the lives of the people during his reign from 1556 to 1598. He believed that his authority to rule came directly from God. As a result he saw himself as the guardian of the Catholic Church and made it his personal responsibility to defend the Catholic Reformation. He used his control of the Spanish army and navy to impose the Inquisition against Protestants and heretics. Without representation, the small middle class was heavily taxed by Phillip to fund his wars and build the Armada

• An example of Absolutism

• A non-example of Absolutism

For the following example decide if it is an example or non-example of Absolutism.

#4 After a journey to Western Europe, Peter the Great decided to modernize Russia. To impose his will he became the most autocratic of Europe’s monarchs, believing that his right to rule as Tsar came from God.He centralized his power and brought all Russians under his control, including the Russian Orthodox Church. Peter forced the most powerful nobles, known as boyars, to serve in either the military or state government. Peasants and serfs were required to become soldiers or work on roads, canals, and other government projects. He improved the technology, education and the military of Russia, but in the process tortured and executed thousands of people who challenged his power from 1682 to 1725.

• An example of Absolutism

• A non-example of Absolutism

For the following examples say if it is an example or non-example of Absolutism.

#5 According to the Mandate from Heaven, the right to rule China is granted by Heaven. The Chinese believed that since there was only one Heaven, there could be only one ruler. Chinese emperors that were part of the Han dynasty referred to themselves as Sons of Heaven, and commanded respect from all their subjects.Chinese law dictated that the emperor’s position could not be challenged by anyone. Emperors handpicked governors and officials in order to centralize their authority and spread their power. Each emperor served as head of state and commander of the army. They chose whether or not to listen to advisors, but had no legislative body to monitor imperial power or prevent abuse.

• An example of Absolutism

• A non-example of Absolutism

For the following example decide if it is an example or non-example of Absolutism.

#6 In 1689 King William and Queen Mary became the monarchs of England. Before they were crowned, they accepted the English Bill of Rights which required the monarchy to work with Parliament to govern the country. The monarchs were required to regularly call on Parliament to meet and lost their power to suspend laws. The responsibility of coordinating the country’s finances and power to tax were given to the lower house of Parliament, known as the House of Commons.

• An example of Absolutism

• A non-example of Absolutism

Use the 3 brief excerpts below to answer the question.

Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes, 1651: In this book, he wrote that in the earliest days there was no government. Instead, those who were the strongest could take control and use their power at any time over others. Hobbes' theory was that the people mutually agreed to create a state, only giving it enough power to provide protection of their well-being. However, in Hobbes' theory, once the power was given to the state, the people then relinquished any right to that power.

Second Treatise of Government, John Locke, 1689: He stressed the role of the individual. He also believed that revolution was not just a right but an obligation if the state abused their given power.

Principles of Political Right, Rousseau, 1762: He explained that the government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty. Thus the will of the people as a whole gives power and direction to the state.

#7 The 3 readings display the evolution of what Enlightenment concept?

• Separation of Church and State

• Social Contract

• Due Process

• Unalienable Rights

#8 Natural rights can also be called:

• Normal rights

• Enlightenment Rights

• Social Contract Rights

• Unalienable Rights

Traditionally, a government protected citizens from foreign invaders, but the government also had absolute authority over the people. A king ruled his citizens whether they consented or not. To Enlightenment thinkers, this was unacceptable. Enlightenment thinkers believed that governments had a responsibility to hold up their end of the social contract. If a government failed, then citizens would no longer agree to be governed and they would have the right to revolt. This idea is known as:

• Natural Rights

• Republicanism

• State of Nature

• Consent of the Governed

#10 One of the largest contributors to conflicts in Europe during the 16th century was:

• Religion

• New Technologies

• Scientific Revolution

• The Enlightenment