European History : Secularization
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Example Question #50 : Cultural And Intellectual History
Of the given options, which best describes the central philosophical tenet of Relativism?
The goal of all moral actions should be to cause the least pain or most pleasure to the greatest number of people
Truth is subjective and dependent on context
People are fundamentally immoral
There is no god
Truth is subjective and dependent on context
Relativism, as a philosophy, has been in existence for many centuries, but only became widely understood and referenced by that name in the nineteenth century. According to relativism, truth is not absolute; rather, it is subjective and informed by the perception of the individual and the circumstances in which the information is perceived.
Example Question #1 : Secularization
Galileo’s support of which of the following theories caused him to be persecuted by the inquisition?
Heliocentrism
Tyconicism
Air pressure
Early Flight
Geocentrism
Heliocentrism
Galileo Galilee was an influential Italian mathematician, astronomer, physicist, and philosopher who has been called “the father of Astronomy” and “The father of Modern Physics”. His discoveries are numerous and include discovering that the moon is round, not flat and that the planet Venus had phases, which strongly supported Copernicus’s theory that the sun is the center of the universe and the planets rotate around it (Heliocentrism). In 1632 Galileo wrote a book called “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” which argued for the theory of Heliocentrism, which was against the church’s teachings. He was tried by the inquisition for heresy, was forced to retract his claims, was put under house arrest for the rest of his life.
Example Question #2 : Secularization
What is humanism?
The study human anatomy
A belief that people should not live in close proximity to animals
The study of people’s reaction to religion during the 14th century
A study of all of the different ethnicities in existence
A movement focused on human values, individuality and philosophy
A movement focused on human values, individuality and philosophy
Humanism focused on the importance of the individual. The humanist movement was a response to the “narrow” methods of medieval scholarship which was very concerned with religious dogma and a multitude of rules. Humanists thought that universal human values, not only religious beliefs, were important, and they encouraged the use of reason and observation to help people understand the world. They studied the ancient works and hoped that by leaning the lessons of the ancient philosophers they could create a population of virtuous and literate citizens.
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