Unit I: Age of Reason Do Now Questions
1. Which statement is true regarding the relationship between the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution?
Renaissance humanist thinkers paved the way for the Scientific Revolution
2. During the Age of Absolutism (16-18th centuries), European monarchies like Louis XIV of France and Peter the
Great (Russia) began to
Centralize power to themselves
3. Machiavelli believed that
A ruler should appear humane but be ruthless in order to maintain power people might overthrow him if he
was cruel.
4. What did Machiavelli mean by the statement “the ends justify the means?”
Any actions a ruler takes to strengthen their rule and nation are acceptable
5. The Magna Carta (1215), English Civil War (1642-1649), Glorious Revolution (1688), and English
Bill of Rights (1689)
Led to a Constitutional Monarchy in England
6. Thomas Hobbes defends the need for absolute rule in his 1651 book Leviathan on the grounds of
Powerful government is necessary to instill fear and prevent anarchy
7. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke started the Enlightenment in the 17th century due to
A. their support of democratic societies
B. Their use of reason to investigate the role of government
C. Their adherence to the Philosophies of writers from the Middle Ages
D. Their support of the divine right of Kings Doctrine
Global Regents Prep Practice Questions
8. Peter the Great and Catherine the Great changed Russia by
A.
B.
C.
D.
abolishing all social class distinctions
becoming constitutional monarchs
preventing wars with neighboring nations
introducing western ideas and customs
9. Changes in Russia under Peter the Great were most similar to changes that occurred in
A.
B.
C.
D.
China before the Opium War
Japan during the Meiji Restoration
Iran after the fall of Shah Pahlevi
France during the feudal period
10. Westernization in Russia came about largely through the
A.
B.
C.
D.
efforts of Peter the Great and his successors
invasion of Russia by Sweden
desire of the United States to seek new markets
acceptance of the policies of the Eastern Orthodox Church
11. “God hath power to create or destroy, make or unmake, at his pleasure; to give life or send
death; to judge…and to be judged (by) none…And the like power have kings;…”
Which idea is described by this passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
theory of divine right
enlightened despotism
Social Darwinism
constitutional monarchy
12. Which type of government is shown in the cartoon?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a socialist republic
an absolute monarchy
a communist dictatorship
a democracy
13. “. . .The person of the King is sacred, and to attack him in any way is an attack on religion itself. Kings represent
the divine majesty and have been appointed by Him to carry out His purposes. Serving God and respecting kings
are bound together.”
—Bishop Jacques Bossuet
This statement describes the philosophy that existed during the
A.
B.
C.
D.
existed during the
Age of Absolutism
Renaissance
Industrial Revolution
14. “. . .The person of the King is sacred, and to attack him in any way is an attack on religion itself. Kings
represent the divine majesty and have been appointed by Him to carry out His purposes. Serving God
and respecting kings are bound together.”
—Bishop Jacques Bossuet
Which person would most agree with this statement?
A.
B.
C.
D.
John Locke
Karl Marx
Elizabeth II
Louis XIV
15. Francis Bacon, Galileo, and Isaac Newton promoted the idea that knowledge should be based on
A.
B.
C.
D.
the experiences of past civilizations
experimentation and observation
emotions and feelings
the teachings of the Catholic Church
16. During the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, one similarity in the work of many scientists and
philosophers was that they
A.
B.
C.
D.
relied heavily on the ideas of medieval thinkers
favored an absolute monarchy as a way of improving economic conditions
received support from the Catholic Church
examined natural laws governing the universe
16. Which statement best describes the effects of the works of Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton,
and René Descartes?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The acceptance of traditional authority was strengthened.
The scientific method was used to solve problems.
Funding to education was increased by the English government.
Interest in Greek and Roman drama was renewed.
Speaker A: Good government stresses the importance of the nation and accepts the rights of the individual only if the
interests of the individual are the same as those of the nation.
Speaker B: The person of the king is sacred and to attack him in any way is to attack religion itself. The respect given to a
king is religious in nature.
Speaker C: All human beings are born free and equal with a right to life and liberty. It is the duty of government to
protect these natural rights of its citizens.
Speaker D: Our goal will not be achieved by democracy or liberal reforms, but by blood and iron. Only then will we be
successful. No nation achieves greatness or unity without the traumatic experiences of war.
17. Which speaker’s statement best reflects the ideas of the Enlightenment?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
B
C
D
Speaker A: The story of history is the story of class struggles. Revolution is necessary to overthrow the ruling class and
eventually create a classless society in which no one will be exploited.
Speaker B: The royal power is absolute and the prince need render account of his acts to no one. Where the word of a
king is, there is no power. Without this absolute authority, the king could neither do good nor repress evil.
Speaker C: Government should leave business alone. It should let the natural law of supply and demand determine what
gets produced, how much gets produced, who does the work, the price of goods, rates of pay, and all other economic
questions.
Speaker D: Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. It is the duty of every government to preserve and protect
these natural inalienable rights.
18. Which speaker expresses the views of John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
B
C
D
19. “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.”
The ideas expressed in the quotation are based primarily on the writings of
A.
B.
C.
D.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Charles Darwin
Charlemagne
John Locke
20. Writers of the Enlightenment were primarily interested in
A.
B.
C.
D.
changing the relationship between people and their government
supporting the divine right theory
debating the role of the church in society
promoting increased power for European monarchs
21. The writings of the Enlightenment philosophers in Europe encouraged later political revolution with their
support of
A.
B.
C.
D.
socialism
imperialism
the natural rights of man
the divine right monarchies
22. The writers and philosophers of the Enlightenment believed the government decisions should be based on
A.
B.
C.
D.
fundamental religious beliefs
the concept of divine right of kings
laws of nature and reason
traditional values
23. Which statement reflects an argument of Enlightenment philosophers against the belief in the divine right of kings?
A.
B.
C.
D.
god has chosen all government rulers
independence is built by military might
a capitalist economic system is necessary for democracy
the power of the government is derived from the governed
24. John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau would be most likely to support
A.
B.
C.
D.
a return to feudalism in Europe
a government ruled by a divine right monarchy
a society ruled by the Catholic Church
a society in which the people chose the ruler
25. During which period in European history would the ideas in these statements have been expressed?
--Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.
--Everyone has the natural right to life, liberty, and property.
--Slavery, torture, and religious persecution are wrong.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Pax Romana
Age of Exploration
Enlightenment
Age of Imperialism
26. During the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, one similarity in the work of many scientists and
philosophers was that they
A.
B.
C.
D.
relied heavily on the ideas of medieval thinkers
favored an absolute monarchy as a way of improving economic conditions
received support from the Catholic Church
examined natural laws governing the universe
27. Which statement best describes a change that occurred during both the Renaissance and the Enlightenment?
A.
B.
C.
D.
feudalism became the dominant political system
the use of reason and logic were discouraged
technology and science were considered unimportant
a new questioning spirit and attitude emerged
28. “We prefer self-government with danger, to servitude in tranquility.”
The author of this statement would most likely support
A.
B.
C.
D.
imperialism
independence movements
colonial expansion
mercantilism
29. A major concept promoted by philosophers of the Enlightenment was the need for
A.
B.
C.
D.
a return to traditional medieval ideas
the use of reason for rational and logical thinking
overseas expansion by western European nations
strengthening the power of the organized religions