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The Printing Press. Who was Johannes Gutenberg?. Born in 1398 in Germany Invented the Printing Press in 1439 Was never financially successful Did not get credit until 1504. Effects of the Printing Press. How might the printing press have changed society?. Religion.
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Who was Johannes Gutenberg? • Born in 1398 in Germany • Invented the Printing Press in 1439 • Was never financially successful • Did not get credit until 1504
Effects of the Printing Press • How might the printing press have changed society?
Religion • The printing press helped to spread Catholicism, but also facilitated great opposition to the Church and spread new ideas about religion. • The Church became weakened by the printing of dissenting views,such as those from Martin Luther. • Because people were able to own their own copy of the Bible, they did not have to turn to priests to interpret it.
Science • The printing press allowed for the acquisition of new and radical ideas, as well as ushered in the Scientific Revolution. • One could privately acquire any information they sought from books rather than publicly interacting with those deemed to be radicals. • This privacy allowed easier transmission of different and newinformation. • It also allowed for a cumulative advance of knowledge, one in which previous knowledge could be questioned and doubted.
Thought • The printing press becomes a way of easily recording and transferring information. • Records become more likely to be permanently saved. • Ideas spread easier and quicker. • Scientists are able to use extensive research records, allowing science to expand at a significantly faster rate.
Language • The printing press had a huge effect on standardizing language in Europe. • Before the printing press, books were more commonly written in the classical languages, but afterwards, there was more emphasis on the vernacular languages. • When print became common, the dialect and spelling conventions that made their way into print became the standard.
Social Classes • Before the printing press only the upper class could afford access to knowledge in the form of hand-written books and tutors. • Lower class was uneducated peasants. • As books become more available and cheaper, lower class becomes more educated -> Leads to a bigger middle class (people can now change social class through education)
