Bentley Ch. 23 Test

During the 16th century, the conflicts of the Reformation, which was a period of religious upheaval and division in Europe, created a climate of suspicion and violence. The Reformation led to the fragmentation of the Christian Church and the rise of different religious sects, causing distrust and fear among the population. This atmosphere of uncertainty and religious tension made people more susceptible to believing in supernatural phenomena and witchcraft. The fear of religious heresy and the search for scapegoats during this time fueled the hysteria and witch hunts as people sought to find and eliminate perceived threats to their religious beliefs and social order.

The new monarchs were characterized by standing professional armies, large centrally administered bureaucracies, and increased state revenues through taxes. However, they were not characterized by a commitment to individual liberty. This means that they did not prioritize or emphasize the rights and freedoms of individuals in their rule.

New crops from other continents contributed the most to the enormous growth of the European population during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The introduction of new crops, such as potatoes, corn, and tomatoes from the Americas, provided a more diverse and nutritious diet for Europeans. This led to improved health and increased life expectancy, resulting in a higher birth rate and a decrease in mortality rates. The availability of these new crops also helped to alleviate food shortages and famine, further supporting population growth.

The Council of Trent was convened as opposition to the Protestant Reformation and to create an education for priests. This council was a response to the challenges posed by the Protestant movement and aimed to address the theological and doctrinal disputes that had arisen. It sought to reaffirm Catholic teachings, clarify doctrines, and establish guidelines for the education and training of priests. By doing so, the council aimed to counter the spread of Protestant ideas and strengthen the Catholic Church.

The French philosophes were important because they believed that their concepts of individual rights would lead to constant progress. This belief in the power of individual rights and freedoms was influential in shaping Enlightenment thinking and challenging the traditional authority of monarchies and the church. The philosophes advocated for ideas such as freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and the separation of powers, which laid the foundation for modern democratic societies. Their emphasis on reason, logic, and progress had a profound impact on various fields, including politics, science, and philosophy.

Both the Enlightenment and the Renaissance shared a focus on a philosophy of human behavior. During the Renaissance, there was a renewed interest in humanism, which emphasized the potential and achievements of individuals. Similarly, the Enlightenment placed an emphasis on reason, logic, and the power of human intellect to understand and improve the world. Both movements sought to understand and explain human behavior, albeit in different ways and contexts.

During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, one of its main goals was to discourage the Spanish nobles from adopting Protestantism. The Spanish crown and the Catholic Church were concerned about the spread of Protestantism in Spain, as it posed a threat to their power and authority. By using religious justifications, the Inquisition aimed to suppress any Protestant influence among the nobility and ensure their loyalty to Catholicism. This was done through various means, including persecution, censorship, and the enforcement of strict religious orthodoxy.

The absolute monarchs of Europe had a philosophy most similar to the Chinese emperors. Both the European absolute monarchs and the Chinese emperors held absolute power and ruled with the belief in the divine right of kings. They both believed that they were chosen by a higher power to rule and that their authority was unquestionable. Additionally, both systems of government were highly centralized, with the ruler exerting control over all aspects of society and government.

Centralizing monarchs benefited the most from the religious controversy generated by the Reformation. The Reformation led to divisions within Christianity, which allowed monarchs to assert their authority over the Church and consolidate power. Monarchs such as Henry VIII of England and Louis XIV of France took advantage of the religious turmoil to centralize their rule, weaken the influence of the Catholic Church, and establish themselves as the ultimate authority in religious matters. This resulted in increased control and authority for the centralizing monarchs, ultimately benefiting them the most from the religious controversy.

The putting-out system was a form of subcontracting in which entrepreneurs would provide raw materials to rural workers who would then produce goods in their homes. These goods would be sold by the entrepreneurs, who would make a profit from the sales. Consumers benefited from this system as they had access to a wider range of goods. Rural workers also benefited as they were able to earn income from their work. However, guild members did not benefit from this system as it undermined their traditional control over the production and sale of goods. Therefore, guild members were the only group that did not profit from the putting-out system.

Constitutional monarchs must share power with a representative body because in a constitutional state, power is divided and shared between the monarch and a representative body, such as a parliament or congress. This ensures that the monarch does not have absolute power and that decisions are made collectively, taking into account the interests and opinions of the people. It also provides a system of checks and balances, preventing any one entity from becoming too powerful. This arrangement is in contrast to an absolute monarchy where the monarch has unlimited power and is not bound by a constitution or any other governing body.

During the time of the new monarchs, they aimed to consolidate their power and centralize control over their kingdoms. One way to achieve this was by suppressing the power of the nobility, who often held significant influence and could challenge the authority of the monarchs. By reducing the power of the nobility, the new monarchs could assert their dominance and ensure that their rule was not undermined. This would also help to establish a more stable and unified kingdom under their control.

Martin Luther's original issue with the Catholic church was the display of relics. Relics were objects believed to have belonged to or been associated with saints, and were often used for worship and veneration. Luther criticized the practice, arguing that it distracted from the true essence of Christianity and placed too much emphasis on material objects. He believed that faith and salvation should be based on a personal relationship with God, rather than on external rituals or objects.