Protestant reformation

Summary : Corruption in the catholic church led to Martin Luther creating his own church that
focused on a more direct connection with God. (1517)
Impact : Weakened the catholic church, Instigated religious wars (Europe), Led to religious freedom & diversity
Key terms : Martin Luther, Indulgences, 95 Theses, Protestantism, Holy Roman Empire, Peace of Augsburg, Diet of Worms, Wittenberg, Printing Press, Lutheranism

Political Milieu
- Due to the absence of authority that time, the church was the only unified organization
and was one of the wealthiest institutions in western europe
- Through time, the church found itself intervening with affairs of the state both directly and
indirectly, which undermined/disregarded the power of secular rulers

Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the Church’s door in Wittenberg as the idea of indulgences (a grant given by
the Pope; to reduce an individual’s punishment, saving him/her a spot in heaven without the need to repent)
being sold did not sit right with him

Movable Type Printing Press - Johannes Gutenberg

Religious Crises
- The protestant reformation was a reaction to the corruption of the catholic church that
had messed with its prestige & credibility
- Since the church was involved in power struggles with secular rulers for supremacy &
power, it became worldly in outlook, in lifestyle, & in priorities.

Basic Doctrines of Protestantism (church led by Martin Luther)

Justification by faith alone : “salvation was a free gift from God and came by faith alone”.
This doctrine negated the importance of good works to salvation as taught by the catholic
church, instead, salvation is powered by your faith alone.
The Bible as the sole authority : belief in the unique authority of the bible itself. It is only the
scriptures written in the Bible that are “divinely inspired”.
Priesthood of all believers : anyone can interpret the meaning of the words of God as stated
in the Bible.
Rejection of the Pope as the Supreme head of the Church : lutheranism negated the need
for the Church and a Pope as its supreme head

Age of Enlightenment
Summary : The Enlightenment, characterized by scientific method, reductionism, and religious
questioning, shaped modern democracies' core ideas like civil society, human rights, and
separation of powers.
Impact : Basis of modern & democratic societies, Influenced French Revolution, Influencing common human rights over elite privileges
Key terms : in prog,

Enlightened Despots : During the Age of Enlightenment, philosophies aimed to transform

social institutions and promote human welfare, happiness, and rights, advocating for
reason-based perfection.

Baron Charles de Montesquieu (1699-1755) ⭐

- In 1748, he published his masterpiece entitled “Spirit of Laws” stated that the powers of
the government resided in 3 separate bodies, namely; The executive/legislative/judicial
Power
Executive Power :: was in the hands of the head state, be it a prime minister/president/leader.
Legislative Power :: was in the hands of an elected assembly/jury.
Judicial Power :: resided in courts (eg. Judges, Lawyers, etc)
- This system was created to provide a check & balance in all branches (to avoid one
body wielding too much power), ensuring there was no corruption of powers & avoiding
unjust punishment, providing a fair trial for those accused.
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) ⭐
- Another giant in the field of political thought. His most important work was “Le Contrat
Social” or “The Social Contract”. His main thesis was that the ideal state must be
governed/led by the general will of its people.
- He argued that for the common good to be achieved, individuals must willingly sacrifice
their individual interests for the greater good.

Thomas Hobbes ⭐
- A strong voice that supported absolutism (a political system in which one ruler has
complete power & authority over its country). In his work entitled “Leviathan”, He claimed
that because man is naturally self-centered, he must constantly compete with other men
for power and existence. He maintained that in order to control and limit human greed
and fears, an all-powerful government was required.

John Locke (1632-1704) ⭐

- John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, a pillar in the liberal intellectual tradition,
emphasized the concept of constitutionalism. He argued that humans enter into a social
contract to establish a state to protect their natural rights, with the government's powers
coming from the people. Locke also argued that if the government fails to protect the
people's rights, a new one could be established, with the "ultimate right to revolution." He
advocated for representative government, allowing the people's voice to be heard and
their participation in governing.

Separation of Powers
Summary : The Separation of Powers is a key system in a democratic government. It gives
each branch a specific power to control different tasks, no single branch can become so
powerful to control the system completely.
Impact : Prevented the abuse of power, Ensured that state power is shared

Checks & Balances

- Ensures that the different branches control each other, this is intended to make them
accountable to each other.
- Divides power between the different branches and government, balance ensures that no
individual/group is “all powerful”.
- Power is shared and not concentrated in one branch

The main purpose of the separation of powers is to prevent the abuse of power
Possible questions in the Assessment

Explain how religion affects moral judgment and views

- Religion gives a person a certain set of values that they choose to follow. For example,
the Bible as our sole authority. It contains scriptures, lessons, and teachings of our Lord
and letters from different saints, some state that in order for us to be accepted into
heaven, we must follow the ten commandments and we must love our neighbors
unconditionally as God loved us
- During the reformation, the growth and spread of new religions were the aspects the
Roman Catholic Church feared the most. This was because new religions meant less
people would be supporting the Catholic church, they would lose their power and
position in Europe. The Church feared modern science's potential contradiction with its
teachings, which they considered the ultimate authority.

Write at least 2 other effects on people’s ethical ideals that are not related to religion,
explain
- John Locke's Two Treatises of Government emphasized constitutionalism, arguing that
humans enter into a social contract to establish a state, protecting their natural rights. He
advocated for representative government, allowing people's voice to be heard.

Explain the principle of separation of powers including its historical significance and
current relevance
- Separation of powers was created to prevent the abuse of power. 3 branches were
introduced, each branch having a specific power and task, legislative created laws,
executive put the law into action, and judicial had the power to create judgements based
on the law. No branch can become so powerful as to be able to control the system
completely, which means that each branch was equally powerful and made accountable
to each other, this system is called “checks & balance”. This is still relevant in today’s
society, for instance, legislatures still have the power to create laws, but the President
can reject them or the Supreme Court may rule that they are unconstitutional.