War fought by Austria, Britain, and the Netherlands against Prussia, France, and Spain because Frederick the Great invaded the Hapsburg empire and annexed Silesia.
Galileo Galilei
Developed the laws of motion, validated Copernicus' heliocentric view with the aid of a telescope, and first to use the telescope as a scientific instrument.
Frederick the Great
Prussian ruler from 1740-1786 who was profoundly influenced by the Enlightenment and gained Silesia and Polish territory in the War of Austrian Succession.
Baron de Montesquieu, spirit of the laws
member of the french nobility; hated the absolutism of Louis XIV. He called for seperation of powers in government into three branches (monarchy, nobility, and the rest of the population.
Voltaire
Perhaps the most influential of all enlightenment philosophers he wrote his criticisms with a sharp sarcasm that ridiculed those with whom he dis agreed .
checks and balances
would ensure that no single branch of government became too powerful as the other two branches could excess power.
Francis Bacon
Formalized the empirical method that had already been used by Brahe and Galileo. His inductive method formed the backbone of the modern scientific method.
Joseph II
Son and co-regent of Maria Theresa. He was one of the greatest "Enlightened Despots" and was deeply influenced by the Enlightenment and its emphasis on reforms.
Enlightenment
Intellectual revolution during the late 17th and 18th centuries in Europe; Emphasis on reason, individualism, and reasoning based on observation.
Madame de Stael
Ran a salon and wrote widely read books deplored subordination of women to men that the Revolution had done so little to change.
