The Scientific View of the World

The Old Science Dominated by the ideas of Aristotle, Ptolemy and Galen Greek thinking was absorbed into Christianity with Scholasticism Believed in the geocentric theory of the universe Four humors made up the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile

Stimuli was new approach: Renaissance interest in nature Celestial navigation to support exploration Church’s interest in an accurate calendar

Advances in Astronomy and Physics Copernicus – heliocentric theory Tycho Brahe provided 20 years of celestial observations Johannes Kepler – planets traveled in elliptical paths

Advances in Astronomy and Physics Galileo – provided empirical evidence for the heliocentric theory Isaac Newton – three laws of motion; universal law of gravitation; calculus

Advances in Anatomy and Medicine Andreas Vesalius – contradicted many of Galen’s ideas regarding the body William Harvey – developed the modern theory of blood flow

Advances in Anatomy and Medicine Anton von Leeuwenkoek – developed the microscope Robert Boyle – chemistry

The Scientific Method Francis Bacon – called for systematic investigation and observation of nature, as well as experimentation Rene Descartes – ideas involved subjecting every single assertion of human knowledge to systematic doubt

Women and Science Not many noted women because of social contraints Maria Winkelmann Maria Sybilla Merian Emilie du Chatelet Dorothea Erxleben

Religion and Skepticism At time wore on, educated Europeans demanded empirical evidence or conformity with natural laws for claims for knowledge Straightforward criticism of religious beliefs was an attempt to reconcile new scientific discoveries

Baruch Spinoza – all of nature was ultimately one substance; God Blaise Pascal – set out to show a proper relationship between reason and faith

A Scientific View of Human Affairs Natural law holds that humans can discover what is fair, just and natural in the political and social realms by consulting reason

Thomas Hobbes Believed in absolutism Wrote Leviathan Humans are born into a state of nature in which life is a continual war for gain, glory and security Only way to end chaos is through a social contract

Social Contract An agreement that the sovereign will absorb the wills and power of each member of society into an all powerful ruler The will of the sovereign will stand as law

John Locke Natural rights of life, liberty, equality and property These rights come before the development of human society Though humans are basically rational, they still conflict over property

Governments are limited by their original purpose Should government become abusive, society can invoke the right of rebellion Governments are made by people

Science Applied: Societies and Technology Creation of societies by states to exploit advances for navigational and military purposes Smaller or more regional societies, academies and universities were created for the study of science Began publishing results of projects to share across the continent