History A-Level
Enlightenment
What Enlightenment means in History A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definition of Enlightenment
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Enlightenment in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: Pearson Edexcel
Thinkers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau criticised absolutism, privilege and religious intolerance, and their ideas circulated via salons, cafés, pamphlets and clandestine literature.
Topics that use Enlightenment
- The origins and onset of revolution, 1774–89 (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Absolutism
- Aristocratic resistance and the revolt of the nobility
- Breakdown of royal authority
- Court scandal and royal authority
- Economic crisis and social distress
- Financial crisis and reform attempts
- Fiscal crisis and reform failure
- International conflict and ideological transfer
Using Enlightenment in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
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