SAT II World History : The Enlightenment Era

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #6 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

How did the writings of Charles de Montesquieu in The Spirit of Laws impact the formation of the government of the United States?

Possible Answers:

None of these answers is correct; the Founding Fathers rejected the arguments found in The Spirit of Laws.

He believed in federalism and the division of powers between a national and regional governments.

He advocated for the separation of powers within government and inspired the three branches of the United States' government.

He believed in inalienable rights for all citizens and inspired the Bill of Rights.

He argued in favor of strong and centralized government and his work encouraged the rejection of the Articles of Confederation.

Correct answer:

He advocated for the separation of powers within government and inspired the three branches of the United States' government.

Explanation:

Montesquieu is a famous Enlightenment philosopher who wrote in his seminal work The Spirit of Laws that, to protect against tyranny, a democratic government should be divided into separate branches: an executive branch to enforce the laws, a legislative branch to pass the laws, and a judicial branch to challenge the laws.

Example Question #6 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

Which of these European leaders was considered an enlightened despot?

Possible Answers:

Giuseppe Garibaldi  

William Pitt the Elder

Catherine the Great 

Napoleon Bonaparte 

William Pitt the Younger 

Correct answer:

Catherine the Great 

Explanation:

Enlightened despotism (also called enlightened absolutism) was a form of absolute monarchy that existed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The rulers, or enlightened despots, were heavily influenced by the ideas and theories spread by the Enlightenment thinkers of the time, particularly ideas concerning rationalism, freedom, and sponsorship of the arts and sciences. Of the European leaders listed in the answer choices, only Catherine the Great was considered an enlightened despot.

Example Question #7 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

The Russian inventor Dmitri Mendeleev is most famous for __________.

Possible Answers:

splitting the atom

his theory of relativity

inventing the system of calculus

his work on the periodic table

turning lead into gold

Correct answer:

his work on the periodic table

Explanation:

Mendeleev is most famous for his work in "perfecting" the periodic table of elements. His work allowed people to understand similarities and differences between chemical elements with greater clarity. The theory of relativity was an idea of Albert Einstein's, and Newton invented the system of calculus. Alchemy, the practice of trying to turn materials into precious metals, was very popular during the Scientific Revolution.

Example Question #8 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

This Northern Renaissance artist is renowned for his woodcuts and theoretical writing, and is sometimes referred to as the "Da Vinci of the Northern Renaissance."

Possible Answers:

Jan Provost

Gerrit David

Albrecht Durer

Erasmus

Jan van Eyck

Correct answer:

Albrecht Durer

Explanation:

Although slightly less revered in popular history, the Northern Renaissance was no less significant or accomplished than the Italian Renaissance. Albrecht Durer is probably the most famous of the Northern Renaissance artists. He is renowned for his woodcuts and his watercolors, as well as his theoretical writings on mathematics and perspective. 

Example Question #34 : The Enlightenment Era

Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are the two men credited with __________.

Possible Answers:

Conclusively proving the heliocentric model of the solar system 

First turning lead into gold using alchemy 

Discovering the existence and significance of gravity 

Inventing the mathematical system of calculus

Discovering the theory of relativity 

Correct answer:

Inventing the mathematical system of calculus

Explanation:

Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz are two prominent Enlightenment Era scientists and mathematicians. Seemingly they both independently devised a system of calculus that allowed them to make calculations on things previously impossible. It is generally accepted that Newton invented calculus first, but as he did not publish this information for decades scholars have to rely on clues in his publications and on Newton's word (notoriously unreliable). The two men battled for acclaim for the invention during their lifetimes, but it is Newton who is most commonly remembered as the inventor of calculus (at least in the English speaking world), despite the fact that Leibniz was the first to publish on the matter. Calculus was vital to some of the scientific breakthroughs of Newton's lifetime and has been continued to be ever since. 

Example Question #35 : The Enlightenment Era

The geocentric model of the universe was initially disproved by __________.

Possible Answers:

Galileo

Nicholas Copernicus

Isaac Newton

Francis Bacon

Jan Huss

Correct answer:

Nicholas Copernicus

Explanation:

The geocentric model of the universe was originally developed by many ancient civilizations, and popularized by the Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle. It was widely accepted by scientific-minded individuals for over a thousand years. In the geocentric model, the Earth is at the center of the universe, and everything else orbits around it; however, in the sixteenth century, the Polish astronomer, Nicholas Copernicus, developed his theory that the sun was in fact the center of the universe. This event is called the Copernican Revolution, and his model was called the heliocentric model of the universe.

Example Question #11 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

A Vindication on the Rights of Women, in which it is argued that women are not naturally inferior to men and should have equal rights in all areas of life, was written by which Enlightenment-Era philosopher?

Possible Answers:

Mary Shelley

Emily Pankhurst

Simone de Beauvoir

John Locke

Mary Wollstonecraft

Correct answer:

Mary Wollstonecraft

Explanation:

Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication on the Rights of Women, in 1792. In the text she argues that women are not naturally inferior or less intelligent than men, but merely appear so because they were no allowed an education and were forced to be subservient to men. She imagines a society founded on reason and equality, in which women are given every right and opportunity that men are given. 

Example Question #12 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

This Enlightenment-Era philosopher wrote Candide and was primarily concerned with encouraging religious tolerance. 

Possible Answers:

Adam Smith

Descartes

John Locke

Voltaire

Thomas Hobbes

Correct answer:

Voltaire

Explanation:

Voltaire was an Enlightenment-Era philosopher who was most famous for his vehement attacks on the established religious orders—particularly the Catholic Church. He wrote passionately, advocating for freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. This naturally caused Voltaire to be condemned widely by the powers that be (although he was a good friend of Catherine the Great), and he had many causes to fear for his life, but he never stopped his polemical writings. His most famous work, Candide, is a scathing critique of the established order of the European world.

Example Question #13 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

A Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding are two of the most famous works of __________.

Possible Answers:

Diderot

David Hume

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Voltaire

Immanuel Kant

Correct answer:

David Hume

Explanation:

A Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding are two of the most famous works of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. Whilst you might not have recognized the works as immediately belonging to Hume, their titles ought to have been a clue. Hume was primarily concerned with understanding the relationship between human nature and human understanding. He was a particularly prominent supporter of empiricism and moral relativism.

Example Question #14 : Historic Figures Of The Enlightenment Era

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations argues passionately in favor of __________.

Possible Answers:

Christian theocratic absolutism 

state-owned property 

free-market Capitalism

Mercantilism 

Imperialism and nationalism 

Correct answer:

free-market Capitalism

Explanation:

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations is the seminal economic text of the Enlightenment era. In it, Smith presents his arguments in favor of laissez-faire economics, or free-market Capitalism. The book was widely influential among the governments and thinkers of his era and continues to be influential to this day.

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