The Scientific Revolution

Scientific Revolution – a change in the way of thinking about the physical universe began in the mid-1500s

Causes of the Scientific Revolution humanism – interest human experiences and worldly events individualism – the belief that all actions take place for the benefit of the individual, not of society as a whole cultural diffusion – the exchange of ideas between different societies

Protestant Reformation –weakened the Catholic Church –advocated people thinking for themselves

Scientific Thinkers Nicolaus Copernicus –wrote On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres –introduced heliocentric model – the sun is the center of the universe and the planets revolve around it

Geocentric – everything revolves around the Earth Heliocentric – everything revolves around the sun Old way of thinking... New way of thinking...

Galileo Galilei –developed the first astronomical telescope –documented sun spots and mountains on the moon

Galileo’s discoveries caused many problems –scholars refused to believe him because his ideas contradicted ancient beliefs –the Catholic Church condemned him as a heretic for going against church doctrine Galileo was put on trial in 1633 and stated that the Earth was the center of the universe in order to avoid being executed he was put under house arrest for the rest of his life

Sir Isaac Newton –defined gravity – the force that keeps the planets in orbit around the sun –wrote Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophies –argued that nature followed uniform laws

Robert Boyle –distinguished between elements and chemical compounds –explained the effect of temperature and pressure on gasses

Andreas Vesalius –studied anatomy –wrote On the Structure of the Human Body

Sir Francis Bacon –stressed experiment and observation –used science to improve life –wrote his ideas in a collection of books, including New Atlantis

René Descartes –thought that human reasoning was the best path to understanding –wrote Discourse on Method included his famous phrase “I think, therefore I am”

Results of the Scientific Revolution new inventions and technologies

further weakening of the Catholic Church new belief in progress

Scientific Method scientific method - the process by which scientists try to construct an accurate representation of the world

Scientific Method