Scientific Revolution Age of Genius

Reasons for the Change Foremost change in world view – travel - Chinese calendars disprove the flood Modern science - experimental observations and mathematics Had always been subordinate to theology Astrology and physics led the way Traditional views were based on: a) Aristotelian mechanics b) Ptolemaic astronomy

Traditional Ideas Common sense proved Aristotle correct - earth stood at the center of the universe Aristotle’s ideas were accepted for 2,000 years because 1) he offered common sense explanations, 2) pacified religion - “Great chain of being” Inanimate objects - lowest level - liquids vegetable class - life and existence dumb animals - feeling and life man - intelligence and soul spiritual world - angels

In humans there were 4 humors: a) melancholy b) phlegm c) blood d) choler They passed through the veins from the liver to the heart - good life needed harmony

Copernicus Polish clergyman Astronomer based his research on Ptolemy Heliocentric theory - On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres (1543) Where was God? Calvin “it cannot be moved” Luther called him a fool Catholic reaction was milder, 1616 denounced his theories

Copernician Theory The universe was staggering The stars are at rest Earth was just another planet

Brahe Son of a Danish nobleman Agreed with Copernicus Studied the stars for 20 years But believed the sun was the center of the universe and earth remained stationary Brahe

Kepler German Mathematician Had been Brahe’s assistant 3 laws of motion Kepler

Galileo Italian Mathematician Conducted experiments to prove what would actually happen. Designed a telescope to see the universe Formulated the law of inertia - objects are in continual motion Also worked with gravity

Worked for the Medici’s of Tuscany Pope Urban VIII allowed him to write on worldly system but he could not judge which one actually existed Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World (1632) In 1633 at 68 he was tried for heresy by the Inquisition Facing death he recanted, but his books circulated throughout Europe Religion v’s Science

Isaac Newton English genius, intensely religious Mathematician Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687) Principia was the synthesis of the revolution * The law of gravity Universe one system

Newton’s Laws 1) a body remains at rest or motion unless acted upon by another source 2) changes in motion are proportional to the energy exerted upon the object 3) to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction “If I have seen further [than others] it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

Francis Bacon English politician, attorney, and writer Attacked the reverence to ancient thinkers Developed the theory of empiricism (study as much as possible, compare and analyze before making speculations) Empirical knowledge would make nations rich and powerful

1620 wrote Novum Organum (new method of acquiring knowledge Generalizations can only be made by inductive reasoning Inductive reasoning - move from the particular to the general

René Descartes Promoted deductive reasoning Reason out a general law and then apply it broadly to all cases Reduced all matter to spiritual and physical -Cartesian Dualism Doubted all that could be doubted – excepted his own existence “cogito ergo sum” Also developed analytical geometry

Causes of the Revolution Medieval philosophy separated from religion Universities established departments of astronomy, mathematics, and physics Renaissance thinkers recovered many of the classical thinkers Patronage Better instruments Reason

Royal Society of London created in 1662 by Charles II French Royal Academy of Science in 1666 by Colbert for Louis XIV Absolute monarchs used science to gain economic and military advantages Protestant countries gained a huge advantage Church power greatly reduced – never to be as powerful