1 / 27

Scientific Revolution and its Enlightened Aftermath SSWH13:a-b.

Scientific Revolution and its Enlightened Aftermath SSWH13:a-b. Time and Geography. INTELLECTUAL. Scientific Revolution of the Seventeenth Century. Scientific method new style of examination Careful observation and systematic experimentation Used to achieve new and verified knowledge.

michaelmontes
Download Presentation

Scientific Revolution and its Enlightened Aftermath SSWH13:a-b.

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Scientific Revolution and its Enlightened AftermathSSWH13:a-b.

  2. Time and Geography

  3. INTELLECTUAL

  4. Scientific Revolution of the Seventeenth Century • Scientific method • new style of examination • Careful observation and systematic experimentation • Used to achieve new and verified knowledge

  5. Scientific Revolution of the Seventeenth Century • Rene Descartes • Separated material from non-material universe • Material world could be understood through mathematics • Deductive reasoning • from a general law to a particular example René Descartes

  6. Francis Bacon • Most ideas that explain nature have not yet been discovered • Looked forward to better, more understood world • Inductive reasoning • observe phenomenon without any preconceived laws or explanations • Empirical method • gather data based on five senses, then form generalization

  7. Background of the Scientific Revolution • Medieval science was not as laughable as once thought • Problem was reliance on authority rather than evidence • Scholars accumulated evidence on nature, geography • Rapid advance in mathematics • became useful for exploring theories as well as counting • New instruments invented: scales, gauges, microscopes etc.

  8. Progress of Scientific Knowledge • Copernicus’ Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies • Criticized geocentric universe as too complex • Heliocentrism • believed Earth revolved around fixed sun • Catholicism, Protestantism condemned his theory Copernicus’ On the Revolution of Heavenly Bodies

  9. Progress of Scientific Knowledge • Brahe and Kepler • Brahe: measured planet rotations • Kepler: Three Laws of Celestial Mechanics • showed planets moved in ellipses Tycho Brahe (above) Johannes Kepler (below)

  10. Galileo and Newton Galileo • His discoveries strongly supported Copernicus • Theories forced Church to reconsider their condemnation of Copernicus Newton • Was looking for explanation of movement • Discovered formula of law of gravitation • Principia Mathematica • most influential book on science in 17th C • Proposed new universe in which every part played particular role Galileo Galilei (above) Isaac Newton (below)

  11. Religion and Science in the 17th Century • Rejection of Church • Saw science as rejecting Scripture, downgrading Creation • Galileo threatened with imprisonment if he did not retract theory • Most scientists thought themselves good Christians • Most ordinary people were unmoved by new science • But Church’s truth was being challenged by science • Strong appeal to educated people (not the masses) • Science came to be seen as alternative to theology • Spinoza - great questioner - rejected personal deity Baruch Spinoza

  12. Science of Man • Math and Science had been in university curriculum, but low prestige • Relationship between Science and Philosophy was undergoing change • Philosophy not regarded as worthy anymore • New emphasis on Science as useful to humans • Other phenomena were in second place • New idea that phenomena such as creativity, imagination, ethics, political behavior could be measured • Science of Man, social science

  13. The Enlightenment • Thought that social sciences could be examined just like natural sciences • Ways of viewing physical world now applied to social, political, moral aspects • Formative figures and basic ideas Newton • Insisted on rational lawful principles in examining physical nature • Human society, as part of nature, can also be rational Isaac Newton

  14. The Enlightenment Locke • Essay Concerning Human Understanding • Mind is blank tablet until experience writes on it • Humans must take charge of their future, can perfect themselves John Locke

  15. The Enlightenment • Faith in perfectibility is distinguishing innovation of the Enlightenment • Progress is reachable and real • Must learn from the past • Reformers took harsh view of Catholic Church – saw it as parasite • Reformers believed in education as the salvation of humankind Front page of The Gentleman's Magazine, January 1731

  16. Philosophes and Their Ideals • Philosophes • Men and women, scientists and philosophers committed to reform • United in their desire for progress • Where found? • Paris was center of the Enlightenment • Network of clubs, correspondence • Less impact in eastern Europe • Period of activity corresponded with French Revolution • Difficult to find common denominators in ideas of the philosophes

  17. Example of a French salon.

  18. The Philosophes • They argued amongst themselves • Got their message out to increasingly literate audience • Common goals • Balance of governmental power – Spirit of the Laws • Constitutional limitation of monarchic power – Voltaire • Freedom of conscience • Equality before the law (but did not mean they believed in democracy) • State supervised mandatory education • Abolition of most forms of censorship Voltaire

  19. Adam Smith and Economic Thought • Outstanding figure in 18th C economic thought • Wealth of Nations – gospel of free trade, free markets • Laissez faire is a simplification • Father of free enterprise • Criticized mercantilism for operating to disadvantage of the consumer Adam Smith

  20. Educational Theory and Popularization of knowledge • Rousseau • Influential in pedagogy and educational philosophy • Little influence in his lifetime, more popular in 19th C • Encyclopedie of Diderot • Upper class very interested in collecting knowledge • Contributors included many outstanding intellectuals, often controversial • Sold over 15,000 copies (very unusual) Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  21. Ideals of the Enlightenment: Reason, Liberty, Happiness • Ideals of the Enlightenment: • reason, liberty, happiness Reason - key word, humans’ highest gift Liberty - personal freedom to do, say anything not harming another Happiness - accessible here and now Progress - inevitable improvement German philosopher, Immanuel Kant

  22. The Audience of the Philosophes • Urban elite, not for masses • No attempt to get ideas to masses (illiterate, traditionalists) • No sympathy for occasional call to violence

  23. REVIEW

  24. Discussion Questions 1. In the 18th century, the Scientific Revolution completely changed science forever. Its impact was enormous, even if the ideas did not directly affect most of the population for some time. Can you see a link between such modern inventions as the computer and the space shuttle and the discoveries of the Scientific Revolution? Compare the impact of the Scientific Revolution and the invention of the computer. 2. The philosophes pushed for political reform, emphasizing such concepts as legal equality and popular sovereignty, but at the same time they were not in favor of political democracy per se. Why not? What were they afraid of? Does their ambivalence make them hypocrites? Why or why not?

More Related