Western Civ: Three More Controversial Questions

Hey everyone, here's a standard post about Western Civ, where I answer three questions given to me about history. So, who were the French materialists? Well, the French materialists were a group of people who believed that the brain only works like it’s programmed to, free will is only an illusion, and there is no spiritual realm.They also believed that many different things can happen when you use matter, which explains how life exists and nature's elements interact.

Secondly, What does Adam Smith mean by the “invisible hand”? Well, that was his metaphor for the greater social benefits and public materials brought by people wanting to make a profit. Also known as the free market economy.This metaphor is true sometimes, but not at all times. The reason for this is that sometimes people can profit off materials and social benefits never thought of before, which does not follow the idea of the metaphor. This means that sometimes the metaphor is incorrect.

Lastly, what were the causes and consequences of the War of the Austrian Succession? The cause was the death of Charles VI in 1740 and the following struggles for power, by CharlesVI. Charles had a daughter and made an arrangement in which Maria Theresa would take the monarchy with no male children, which she did. Charles of Bavaria then tried to overthrow her because he felt he had the right to the throne.while the consequences were Silesia being given to Prussia, while Austria was forced to give more Italian principalities to Spain.