A Scientific & Intellectual Revolution

1. A Scientific & Intellectual Revolution

2. Foundation in the Renaissance • Renaissance spirit • Questioning leads to scientific achievements • Use of reason and logic (not medieval superstition) • Scientific method and experimentation • Search for truth in science; scientific progress • Renaissance artists contributed by close attention to detail; focus on perspective and proportions • Printing press helped spread ideas

3. Foundation cont. • Built upon writings of Greeks & Romans (Aristotle, Archimedes, Plato, Ptolemy) • Developed the scientific method of observation and experimentation • Challenged medieval superstition • Uncovered much knowledge of the physical world (new technology – telescope, microscope)

4. Achievements • Ptolemy – Geocentric Theory • Earth is center of universe, planets revolve around it • Copernicus – Heliocentric Theory • The sun is the center of the solar system • The earth revolves around the sun (axis) • Disproved Ptolemy’s theory

5. Achievements cont. • Kepler – German astronomer & mathematician • Laws of planetary motion • However, planets follow an elliptical, not circular orbit in revolving around the sun

6. Achievements cont. • Galileo – Italian astronomer and physicist • Greatly improved the telescope • Further confirmed Copernican theory • Also found mountains, several moons around Jupiter, sunspots, etc. • Found himself increasingly under suspicion by the Catholic Church • First thermometer

7. Achievements • Newton – English mathematician, astronomer, physicist • Calculated the law of motion and gravity • Invented mathematical analysis called calculus • Discovered laws of light and color

8. Achievements cont • Boyle – English chemist • Discovered the law of gases that is fundamental to modern chemistry • Leeuwenhoek – Dutch naturalist • Perfected the microscope • Microorganisms • Studied the previously invisible world of bacteria, protozoa, animal and plant cells

9. Achievements cont. • Vesalius – Flemish physician • Dissections of the human body • Founded the science of anatomy • Harvey – English physician • Demonstrated that blood circulates through the body • Heart pumps blood • Furthered the study of medicine

10. Achievements, cont. • Sir Francis Bacon • Developed scientific method • Use of reason in research • Inductive principles – from specifics to general conclusions • Louis Pasteur • Use of heat to kill organisms • Pasteurization of milk • Edward Jenner • Smallpox vaccine

11. Achievements • GregorMendel • Founder of science of genetics • Recognized inheritance of certain traits • Carl Linnaeus • System of classifying living things into groups • Kingdom, Domain, Phylum, Class, Species, etc.

12. Achievements (women) cont. • Margaret Cavendish – scientist; humans have no power over nature • Maria Winkelmann– discovered a comet • No women invited to the academies (Royal Society of England, French Academy of Science) • Little changed about roles of women

13. The Enlightenment • Intellectual movement based in the scientific revolution • Focus on reason • Could apply the scientific method to understanding of all life • Began to apply reason to governments • Following natural law would lead to progress

14. The Philosophes • Intellectuals known by this name but not all were French • Literary people, professors, journalists, economists, political scientists, social reformers • Came from all classes • An international movement • Rational criticism could be applied to everything

15. Five Beliefs • Reason – truth discovered by logic • Nature – what is natural is good • Happiness – secularism • Progress – society can improve • Liberty – political freedoms (rights)

16. Contributions cont. • Blaise Pascal – sought to keep science and religion together; not mutually exclusive • But trend to secularization (seeing the world as material not spiritual)

17. Contributions • Rene Descartes – Discourse on Method • Idea of “doubt” • Supported only those things that reason said were true; rejects assumptions • “I think, therefore I am” • Rationalism – use the mind or reason to understand the world • Developed analytical geometry

18. The Philosophes • John Locke – every person is born a tabula rasa (blank slate); knowledge from environment, not heredity • Two Treatises of Government 1. People possess natural rights of life, liberty & property 2. Governments exist by the consent of the governed (i.e. the PEOPLE put them there) 3. Governments are to protect these rights 4. The people may replace a government that fails to protect these rights *Basis for the Declaration of Independence & Bill of Rights

19. The Philosophes • Montesquieu – The Spirit of the Laws • Separation of Powers into 3 Branches – WHY? 1. Legislative– makes laws 2. Executive– enforces (executes) laws 3. Judicial– interprets laws • Checks and balances – each branch limited and controlled the others (examples?) • Innocent until proven guilty • Slavery, torture, religious persecution, censorship are wrong • Basis for the U.S. Constitution

21. The Philosophes • Voltaire - Candide • Rationalist; Criticized Church but favored religious tolerance (deist) • Free speech, religion, press; hated prejudice and superstition • “I disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.” • Deism – god was the creator but the universe then ran according to natural laws and forces • Denis Diderot – strongly criticized Christianity (“fanatical and unreasonable”); wrote a vast Encyclopedia of science, arts, etc.

22. The Philosophes • Rousseau- The Social Contract • Society agreed to be governed; • Individuals must abide by the majority (popular sovereignty) – will of the people • “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” • Rich should not enjoy special privileges • Emile– focused on importance of education – should foster, rather than restrict children’s natural instincts.

23. The Philosophes • Cesar Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments • Focused on justice system: • Criticized torture, cruelty, capital punishment • Death Penalty • Criticized irregular and slow trials • Where do we see these things addressed in our country today?

24. Other contributions • Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations • Natural law should apply to the economy • Supply and demand 2. People should pursue their own economic self-interests 3. Government should protect society, defend its citizens, keep up public works but **leave the economy alone - laissez faire (hands off) *Foundation of capitalism 4. Competition is a key element of capitalism

25. Women in the Enlightenment • Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Women • Feminism (women’s rights) - Criticized men who said governments have too much power over people – same as men having too much power over women • Education is the key to women’s rights • Enlightenment is based on reason; if women have reason, they should have the same rights as men • Salons – elegant rooms where philosophers men, discussed, socialized