The Scientific Revolution 
A. Began in China and spread to Europe 
B. Was based on Scholastic philosophy 
C. Resulted in a major change in how people viewed the universe and the role of humans within it 
D. Was hostile to the Enlightenment 
ANSWER: C
The traditional view of the universe 
A. Was the result of Greek science 
B. Was the result of the spread of ignorance stemming from the fall of the Roman Empire 
C. Was the result of the spread of Chinese views of the universe in Europe 
D. None of the above 
ANSWER: A
The traditional view of the universe was undermined by 
A. The Hermetic doctrine that all matter from plants to the sun contained the divine spirit 
B. The upsetting of Ptolemaic geography by the process of exploration 
C. The printing press which permitted more ideas to be published and to be spread more rapidly 
D. All of the above 
ANSWER: D
The religious attitude of most early scientists was 
A. That they were investigating the universe created by God 
B. A strong skepticism caused by their scientific observations 
C. A revived paganism caused by their admiration for classical antiquity 
D. A growing interest in oriental philosophy 
ANSWER: A
Nicolas Copernicus is best known 
A. As the first scientist to reject the Hermetic tradition and neo-Platonic philosophy 
B. As the first person to use a telescope to observe the universe 
C. As the first modern thinker to posit that the earth revolved around the sun 
D. As the first person to publish a detailed treatise on how gravity operates 
ANSWER: C
Copernicus's astronomical views 
A. Were ignored by contemporaries 
B. Were rejected by Tycho Brahe, the greatest observational astronomer of the 16th Century 
C. Were quickly adopted by the Protestant Reformation 
D. None of the above 
ANSWER: B
Tycho Brahe 
A. Was a French peasant who became a great astronomer 
B. Did not accept the Copernican system but did reject the Aristotelian belief that the heavens were composed of crystalline spheres 
C. Was the first astronomer to use a telescope 
D. None of the above 
ANSWER: B
Johannes Kepler 
A. Showed that science and religion were incompatible 
B. Rejected the Copernican hypothesis on astronomical grounds 
C. Made important astronomical observations with a telescope 
D. Offered the first real proof of the Copernican hypothesis by discovering three laws of planetary motion 
ANSWER: D
Galileo Galilei 
A. Denounced Copernicus's astronomical ideas 
B. Achieved so much fame in science that he was elected pope 
C. Was the assistant to Copernicus 
D. Was the first person to view the heavens with a telescope 
ANSWER: D
Many scientists believe that Galileo's greatest contribution was not his telescopic observations but 
A. His development of physical laws that overturned Aristotle's physics 
B. His support of neo-Platonic philosophy 
C. His proof of the effects of gravity 
D. None of the above 
ANSWER: A
The scientist who discovered the laws of gravitational attraction was 
A. Paracelsus 
B. Copernicus 
C. Newton 
D. Einstein 
ANSWER: C
Newton made many important scientific discoveries, the most important of which was 
A. The circulation of the blood 
B. The discovery of the satellites of Jupiter 
C. The discovery of how gravitation holds the universe together 
D. The invention of the microscope 
ANSWER: C
The work of Paracelsus, Vesalius, Harvey, and Boyle demonstrated 
A. That the physics of Newton was incomplete and needed correction 
B. That by no means was the intellectual world of Europe ready to accept the Scientific Revolution 
C. That science was progressing not only in physics and astronomy but also in medicine, anatomy, and chemistry 
D. That the religious world had fully accepted the new science 
ANSWER: C
The importance of Francis Bacon and Ren Descartes in the Scientific Revolution stems from 
A. Their work with Robert Boyle on the foundations of modern chemistry 
B. Their ideas on observation, experimentation, and mathematics helped establish the methodology of science 
C. Their astronomical observations confirmed Newton's work 
D. Their outspoken protest against the Inquisition's condemnation of Galileo 
ANSWER: B
"I think, therefore I am" was said by 
A. Bacon 
B. Galileo 
C. Newton 
D. Descartes 
ANSWER: D
Scientific ideas were spread 
A. By private societies of scientists only 
B. By royal and princely societies only 
C. By a combination of private and princely societies 
D. Without any attempt to organize scientific research and dissemination 
ANSWER: C
By the end of the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th Centuries, 
A. New technology developed by scientists had transformed European ways of life 
B. Science claimed precedence over religion in explaining the material world 
C. Scientific progress virtually ended, not to be resumed until the middle of the 19th century 
D. All of the above 
ANSWER: B
During the Enlightenment 
A. There was considerably less interest in science than in the preceding century 
B. Enlightenment thinkers excluded women from all scientific and philosophical discussion 
C. Enlightenment writers consistently advocated violent revolution in the name of science 
D. Science was popularized in numerous books written for general audiences 
ANSWER: D
Enlightenment thinkers admired the psychology of John Locke, who argued that 
A. Humans were subconsciously influenced by the combined forces of the ego, superego, and id 
B. The human mind was blank at birth, and thus schools and social institutions should mold the individual from childhood to adulthood 
C. That the human mind was highly programmed from birth, virtually negating the idea of free will 
D. That all humans were born with an innate moral sense, and that it was unnecessary to teach morality 
ANSWER: B
The ideas of Pierre Bayle and David Hume demonstrated 
A. The science and religion were clearly compatible 
B. That the Enlightenment was moving in a skeptical direction, challenging Scriptural authority and religious beliefs 
C. That not all Enlightenment thinkers believed in religious toleration 
D. That the best Enlightenment thinkers did not frequent the salons 
ANSWER: B
Which of the following was not characteristic of the Enlightenment? 
A. A firm conviction that human reason should determine the understanding of the world and the rules of social life 
B. It had a great amount of influence on European and American elites 
C. The popularization of science 
D. It was dominated by Italian and Spanish thinkers 
ANSWER: D
The travel writings of Montesquieu and Voltaire, together with history writing that emphasized the idea of progress, showed which aspect of the Enlightenment? 
A. A broadening criticism of authority and tradition 
B. The spread of Newtonian science 
C. The adoption of John Locke's psychology of knowledge 
D. None of the above 
ANSWER: A
According to the text, the French writers, or philosophes, were best represented by 
A. Voltaire 
B. Paracelsus 
C. Descartes 
D. Franklin 
ANSWER: A
At the height of the Enlightenment, the philosophes did all of the following except 
A. Urge greater religious toleration over the objections of religious authorities 
B. Urge the violent, revolutionary overthrow of government and society 
C. Urge that cruel and unusual punishments and irregular criminal procedures be abolished 
D. Urge the lessening of government regulation of the economy 
ANSWER: B
By publishing his Treatise on Tolerance, Voltaire showed an affinity with the ideas of 
A. Paracelsus 
B. Descartes 
C. Bayle 
D. Copernicus 
ANSWER: C
Which of the following is not an idea discussed by Voltaire in his writings? 
A. The scientific ideas of Newton 
B. Complete social egalitarianism 
C. Skepticism about religious doctrines 
D. Upholding of religious toleration 
ANSWER: B
Which of the following is not true about the Encyclopedia? 
A. Its editors were Voltaire and Emile du Chtalet 
B. It place a great deal of emphasis on science 
C. It survived a bout with government censorship 
D. It included a large number of illustrations 
ANSWER: A
Thomas Paine's statement "I believe in God...I do not believe in the creed of [the] Jewish church...The Roman church, The Greek church, the Turkish church..." is an example of Enlightenment 
A. Atheism 
B. Deism 
C. Agnosticism 
D. Nominalism 
ANSWER: B
Which of the following ideas is not found in John Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government? 
A. Natural rights include life, liberty, and property 
B. The people have a right to overthrow a government that violates their natural rights 
C. The powers of government are strictly limited 
D. Monarchy is the only proper form of government 
ANSWER: D
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract is still controversial because 
A. It denounced all religion, even Deism, as superstition 
B. Its concept of the general will can be used to support both participatory democracy and an authoritarian regime 
C. It tried to justify abortion 
D. It advocated strict separation of the sexes 
ANSWER: B
Which of the following thinkers is not properly connected to the book or idea that made him famous? 
A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Spirit of the Laws 
B. Franois Quesnay, Physiocracy and laissez-faire 
C. Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations 
D. Cesare Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments 
ANSWER: A
Vindication of the Rights of Women was written by 
A. Mary Astell 
B. Emile du Chtelet 
C. Mary Wollstonecraft 
D. Christina of Sweden 
ANSWER: C
Which of the following is not true about women in the Enlightenment? 
A. Emile du Chtelet was an important aide to Voltaire 
B. Mary Astell and Mary Wollstonecraft both emphasized female education 
C. Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the editors of the Encyclopedia all argued that women should play an active political role 
D. Julie de Lespinasse and Marie-Thrse de Geoffrin held important gatherings for Enlightenment intellectuals 
ANSWER: C
Which statement sums up well the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment? 
A. Led astray by the Hermetic Doctrines, the men of the Scientific Revolution produced a seriously inaccurate view of society that was publicized by the Enlightenment 
B. All the original intellectual work was done during the Scientific Revolution; the ideas of the Enlightenment were merely derivative 
C. By deliberately trying to undermine religious belief in the name of scientific progress, early scientists paved the way for Enlightenment religious toleration 
D. By challenging the accepted scientific wisdom, the early scientists paved the way for broader Enlightenment critiques of religion, government, and society 
ANSWER: D
The traditional view of the earth and the universe was based on the ideas of the Greek thinkers Aristotle and Ptolemy.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
Neoplatonism and the Hermetic Doctrines helped shape Copernicus' heliocentric views.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
Tycho Brahe was one of the earliest supporters of the Copernican system.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Kepler demonstrated only two of the three basic laws of planetary motion.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Galileo's Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World was condemned by the censors but approved by the pope.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Newton's universe was infinite and had no center.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
Paracelsus rejected Hermeticism and astrology.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Robert Boyle believed that all matter was composed of indestructible atoms.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
Descartes proposed a dualistic philosophy of mind and matter.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
Princes and rulers in the 17th century paid no attention to the new scientific developments.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
The Enlightenment failed to translate the complex scientific ideas of Kepler, Galileo, and Newton into language understandable by non-scientists.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
John Locke believed that the human mind at birth was filled with a large number of innate ideas.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Pierre Bayle believed that all religious dogma that conflicted with natural human understanding had to be rejected.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
David Hume believed that neither our own existence nor the existence of God can be known for certain.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
The French philosophes wrote more plays, novels, and history than formal philosophy.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
The Encyclopedia had no trouble with government censors.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Montesquieu opposed the division of governmental powers into the triad of executive, legislative, and judicial.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Rousseau declared that in a state of nature, the lives of people were nasty, brutish, and short.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
Rousseau's ideas have been used to support both participatory democracy and authoritarian political systems.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
The Physiocrats were French economic thinkers who believed that economic prosperity rested on greater governmental control over agriculture and manufacturing.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: B
In spite of their views on individualism and education, many Enlightenment writers and thinkers seem to believe that women should stay at home.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
One of the most important contributions of women to the Enlightenment was to serve as hostesses for the salons.
A. True
B. False
ANSWER: A
