Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
A ferment of ideas: radical political ideas, including the Levellers and…
Full specification wording
Social and intellectual challenge, 1625–88: A ferment of ideas: radical political ideas, including the Levellers and the Diggers; the end of divine right monarchy and a confessional state; the significance of the ideas of Hobbes and Locke; the scientific revolution, including Francis Bacon and the experimental method; the significance of the Royal Society.
The 1600s saw profound intellectual shifts.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The 1600s saw profound intellectual shifts. Radical Levellers demanded widened suffrage, while Diggers advocated communal land ownership. The Civil War and Glorious Revolution shattered the divine right monarchy and dismantled the confessional state, ending strict religious uniformity. Political philosophy evolved through Hobbes, arguing for absolute sovereignty, and Locke, championing natural rights and consent. Concurrently, the scientific revolution flourished. Francis Bacon pioneered the experimental method, emphasising empirical observation. This approach was institutionalised by the Royal Society, significantly advancing scientific communication and discovery.
What earns the marks
- Evaluate the impact of radical groups, noting the Levellers' influence in the Putney Debates and the Diggers' socio-economic radicalism.
- Analyse the decline of the confessional state and divine right, culminating in the 1688 Glorious Revolution and the Toleration Act.
- Contrast the political philosophies of Hobbes (justifying strong central authority) and Locke (advocating for the social contract and individual liberties).
- Assess the role of Francis Bacon's experimental method in shifting intellectual paradigms towards empirical evidence.
- Explain the significance of the Royal Society in formalising and disseminating scientific knowledge across Europe.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing the Levellers and Diggers.
Put it right: The Levellers focused on political equality and suffrage, whereas the Diggers focused on economic equality and land ownership.
Assuming the confessional state ended completely in 1649.
Put it right: Acknowledge that while challenged, the formal end of the confessional state is better associated with the Toleration Act of 1689.
Equating Hobbes and Locke's views on the state of nature.
Put it right: Distinguish Hobbes's pessimistic view requiring absolute rule from Locke's view supporting natural rights and conditional governance.
Exam tips
- Use the contrast between Hobbes and Locke to structure essays on the evolution of political thought.
- Link the scientific revolution to broader societal changes, showing how empirical questioning undermined traditional religious and political dogmas.
- When discussing radical ideas, explicitly mention the context of the Civil War as the catalyst for this intellectual ferment.
Try the lesson
The start of the Social and intellectual challenge, 1625–88: A ferment of ideas: radical political ideas, including the Levellers and the Diggers; the end of divine right monarchy and a confessional state; the significance of the ideas of Hobbes and Locke; the scientific revolution, including Francis Bacon and the experimental method; the significance of the Royal Society. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which group in the ferment of radical political ideas during the 1640s and 1650s argued for a wider franchise and for government resting on the consent of the people?
Listen
The 1600s saw profound intellectual shifts. Radical Levellers demanded widened suffrage, while Diggers advocated communal land ownership. The Civil War and Glorious Revolution shattered the divine right monarchy and dismantled the confessional state, ending strict religious uniformity. Political philosophy evolved through Hobbes, arguing for absolute sovereignty, and Locke, championing natural rights and consent. Concurrently, the scientific revolution flourished. Francis Bacon pioneered the experimental method, emphasising empirical observation. This approach was institutionalised by the Royal Society, significantly advancing scientific communication and discovery. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Evaluate the impact of radical groups, noting the Levellers' influence in the Putney Debates and the Diggers' socio-economic radicalism. Analyse the decline of the confessional state and divine right, culminating in the 1688 Glorious Revolution and the Toleration Act. Contrast the political philosophies of Hobbes (justifying strong central authority) and Locke (advocating for the social contract and individual liberties). Assess the role of Francis Bacon's experimental method in shifting intellectual paradigms towards empirical evidence. A common slip: Confusing the Levellers and Diggers. Instead, the Levellers focused on political equality and suffrage, whereas the Diggers focused on economic equality and land ownership. Exam tip: Use the contrast between Hobbes and Locke to structure essays on the evolution of political thought.
Key words
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Radicalism and dissent
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Political philosophy and the state
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Empiricism and scientific progress
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Secularisation and religious pluralism
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See every definition
- Radicalism and dissent
- A ferment of ideas including radical political ideas, such as those of the Levellers and the Diggers, who demanded widened suffrage and advocated communal land ownership.
- Political philosophy and the state
- Ideas that evolved through Hobbes, arguing for absolute sovereignty, and Locke, championing natural rights and consent.
- Empiricism and scientific progress
- The scientific revolution, in which Francis Bacon pioneered the experimental method emphasising empirical observation, was institutionalised by the Royal Society.
- Secularisation and religious pluralism
- The Civil War and Glorious Revolution shattered the divine right monarchy and dismantled the confessional state, ending strict religious uniformity.
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