Lumières

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lumires

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the historical epoch?The Age of Enlightenment (circa 1685-1815)
2. What was the Age of Enlightenment?It was a time from the late 17th to early 19th centuries when people used reason and science to think about the world and change society.
3. Why did Enlightenment thinkers call it "Lumières"?Because "Lumières" means "lights" in French, and it shows how bright ideas were spreading like light.

Rationalism: The philosophical belief that reason is the primary source and test of knowledge.
Empiricism: The theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience and observation.
Skepticism: An attitude of doubt towards claims that are generally accepted as facts or truths.
Social Contract Theory: A philosophical concept that individuals implicitly or explicitly agree to surrender some freedoms for the benefits of living in a society governed by laws.