The Scientific Revolution

1. The Scientific Revolution

2. What Was the Scientific Revolution? • A revolution in human understanding and knowledge about the physical universe • 17th century • Began with Kepler, Galileo • Ended with Newton

3. “Science” Before the Scientific Revolution • Based almost entirely on reasoning • Experimental method or observation wasn’t used at all • Science in medieval times • Alchemy • Astrology A medieval alchemist

4. Factors Leading to the Scientific Revolution • Rise of universities • Contact with non-Western societies • The Renaissance • Exploration

5. Rationalism • Reason, not tradition, is the source of all knowledge • René Descartes (1596–1650) • French philosopher and mathematician • Cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore, I am”) • Deductive reasoning René Descartes

6. The philosophy of rationalism holds that all knowledge comes from reason. René Descartes was one of the most important philosophers and mathematicians of his time; many regard him as the father of modern rationalism. In Discourse on Method and The Meditations, he reasoned that all of his prior knowledge was subject to doubt because it was based on traditional beliefs rather than on reason. He pondered what he could honestly say he knew to be true, going so far as to doubt whether he was awake or dreaming—or if he even existed. He then began to reconstruct his world view: he knew that his thoughts existed, which then suggested the existence of a thinking being—himself. Descartes then came to his famous conclusion, “Cogito ergo sum,” which means “I think, therefore, I am.”

7. Empiricism • The belief that experience is the only true source of knowledge • Roger Bacon • Shift toward empiricism a hallmark of the Scientific Revolution • Helped lead to the development of the scientific method Roger Bacon

8. Francis Bacon andthe Scientific Method • 1561–1626 • English philosopher and empiricist • Inductive reasoning • Argued for experimental methodology

9. English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon laid the theoretical groundwork for what became known as the scientific method. His ideas about science incorporated what is known as inductive reasoning, which involves using concrete facts to extrapolate broader conclusions. (Inductive reasoning is the opposite of deductive reasoning.) Bacon argued that scientists should work from the specific (observable data) to the general (rules and theories based on that data). He believed that all scientific research should rely on careful observation and experimentation rather than simply relying on one’s own thought and reasoning, as earlier scientific thinkers had. The data obtained should then be recorded and analyzed according to logic and reason, then used to produce a testable hypothesis.

10. The Scientific Method Science as a multiple-step process: 1. Observe an object or phenomenon 2. Develop a theory that explains the object or phenomenon 3. Test the theory with experiments

11. Roots of Scientific Thought: Aristotle • 4th century BCE Greek philosopher and scientist • Wrote several scientific works • His work laid the foundation for scientific study through the medieval era • Gravity/Theory of falling objects • Astronomy: Crystal spheres

12. Roots of Scientific Thought:Ptolemy • 2nd century CE Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer • The Almagest (Syntaxis) • Geocentric (earth-centered) model of the universe • Motion of the planets

13. Models of the Universe: Geocentric vs. Heliocentric Geocentric: the Earth is at the center of the universe; all heavenly bodies move around the Earth Heliocentric: the Sun is at the center of the universe; all heavenly bodies move around the Sun—including the Earth

14. Nicholas Copernicus (1473–1543) • Polish astronomer and mathematician • Commentariolus (1514) • Concerning the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres (1543)

15. Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) • Danish astronomer • Amassed accurate astronomical data • Theorized a system distinct from both the Ptolemaic and Copernican ones • Argued that the Moon and Sun revolve around the Earth while other planets revolve around the Sun

16. Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) • German astronomer and mathematician • Student of Tycho • Didn’t agree with Tycho’s interpretation of data • Disagreed with Copernicus, claiming that other bodies moved in elliptical motion, as opposed to circular motions • Theorized three laws of planetary motion using Tycho’s data

17. Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) • Italian mathematician, astronomer • “Father of Science” • Telescopes and astronomical discoveries • Theory of falling objects; disproved Aristotle Galileo’s telescopic drawing of the moon

18. Galileo vs. the Catholic Church • The church condemned heliocentric conceptions of the universe • The Roman Inquisition • Galileo’s trial • Galileo recants, put under house arrest 19th-century depiction of Galileo before the Inquisition tribunal

19. Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) • English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician • Synthesized the works of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo • The Principia

20. Considered by many to be the greatest figure of the Scientific Revolution, Newton synthesized the works of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo in formulating his theories on gravity and motion. After decades of research, he presented the foundation of these theories (along with other observations concerning mathematics and geometry) in the Principia, perhaps the most influential science book ever written. The Principia presented a new view of the world, one expressed in entirely mechanical terms, with Newton portraying the universe as a large clock that operated by a consistent set of rules. The book was well received by the academic community of Europe at the time and his new world view became the accepted paradigm until the atomic age.Legend holds that Newton “discovered” gravity when an apple fell on his head from a nearby tree, although many believed Newton—who loved to tell stories—made the whole thing up.

21. The Significance of the Scientific Revolution • Abandonment of ancient and medieval systems • Development of the scientific method • The Enlightenment

22. Critical Thinking Questions to Answer • Explain the reasons as to why the Scientific Revolution occurred. • Create an example of the scientific method. Be creative!!! • Create a “mini-chart” that lists the important people in this PPT and what they are known for.