10.

1
THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
 TOPIC: AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT (1600-1800)
The Age of Enlightenment developed from the
Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries.
A new focus on reasoning was used to understand
social, political and economic institutions.
 5. The Scientific Revolution impacted religious,
political and cultural institutions by challenging how
people viewed the world.
BACKGROUND TO THE REVOLUTION

Middle Ages
Many Europeans took
an interest in the World
around them.
Natural Philosophers-
did not make
observations of the
natural world.
Relied on a few
ancient authorities.
BACKGROUND TO THE REVOLUTION

Aristotle heavily
relied on
Number of changes caused
natural philosophers to
abandon their own views
and develop new ones.
Renaissance
humanists mastered
Greek as well as
Latin.
 Scientific Revolution
BACKGROUND TO THE REVOLUTION

Ptolemy and Archimedes-

newly discovered works made
it obvious ancient thinkers
disagreed with Aristotle.
Technical problems
required careful
observation and
accurate measurements.
PTOLEMY
ARCHIMEDES
Invention of new
instruments- telescope,
microscope-made new
discoveries possible
Mathematics played a very
important role
BACKGROUND TO THE REVOLUTION

Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo,

Newton believed secrets of
nature were written in language
of mathematics.
Some historians refer to period as
Age of Reason.
 A REVOLUTION IN ASTRONOMY

New discoveries would

overturn the conception of
universe held by Westerners in
the middle ages.
 THE PTOLEMIC SYSTEM

Ptolemy-lived in 21st

Century A.D
Geocentric-earth was
the center of the
universe.
Universe is a series of
concentric sphere.
Earth is fixed,
motionless
Prime Mover- 10th

sphere which moved

itself and gave motion
to other spheres.
Beyond was
heaven.
 COPERNICUS AND KEPLER

Copernicus- a
native of Poland.
Heliocentric- sun-
centered conception
of the Universe was a
more accurate
explanation
Sun was center of
the universe.
Planets revolved around
the sun.
 COPERNICUS AND KEPLER

Kepler
Used detail astronomical data to arrive
at laws of planetary motion.
Observations confirmed sun was
center of the universe.
 COPERNICUS AND KEPLER

Keplers First Law-

The orbits of the planets around
the sun were not circular
Orbits were elliptical.
 GALILEO

Taught
mathematics
Made regular
observations of
heavens using
telescopes.
Heavenly objects
were not made of
light-but material
substances.
Galileo found
himself under
suspicion of the
Catholic Church
 NEWTON

Attended
Cambridge
University.
Defined three laws
of motion that
govern planetary
bodies.
Universal Law of
Gravitation-explains why
planets do not go off in
straight lines but instead
continue in elliptical
orbits.
Law states in math terms-
every object in universe
is attracted to every other
object by a force called
gravity.
 NEWTON

Newton showed one

universal law could
explain the universe.
Universe seen as
one huge, regulated
uniform machine.
Newtons world machine
view dominate modern
world view until the 20th
Century.
 BREAKTHROUGH IN MEDICINE AND
CHEMISTRY

Galen- Greek physician whose

teachings dominated middle ages.
Relied on animal rather than human
dissection.
BREAKTHROUGH IN MEDICINE AND
CHEMISTRY

Andreas Vesalius-dissected
human bodies while Professor
of surgery at University of
Padua.
Hands on approach enabled
him to overthrow some of
Galens theories.
 William Harvey- works based
on close observation and
experiment. Harvey showed
that the heart was beginning
point for circulation of blood
in the body.
Robert Boyle-first
Scientist to conduct
controlled experiment.
BREAKTHROUGH IN MEDICINE AND
CHEMISTRY

Boyles Law-the volume of gas

varies with the pressure
exerted on it.
Antoine Lavoisier-invented
system of naming chemicals.
Regarded as founder of
Modern Chemistry.
WOMEN AND THE ORIGIN OF MODERN
SCIENCE

Margaret Cavendish- critical of

growing belief that humans through
science were masters of nature.
Maria Winkelmann-made some
original contributions to astronomy;
including discovery of a comet.
 DESCARTES AND REASON

Rene Descartes-French Philosopher

1). One fact seemed to be beyond all
doubt- his existence
I think therefore I am.
2). The mind cannot be doubted but the
material world and body.
PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION OF MIND
AND MATTER

Matter completely separate allowed

scientists to view matter as dead or inert.
Could be investigated independently by
reason.
Rationalism-system of thought is based on
belief that reason is the Chief source of
knowledge.
 THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

A systematic procedure for collecting and

analyzing evidence.
Francis Bacon-scientist should use inductive
reasoning. Proceed from particular to the general.
1. Systematic observations
2. Organized experiments
3. Hypotheses (theories)
Control and domination of nature became a
concern.