The Scientific Method, Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes Std I can outline the steps of the Scientific Method and explain how Bacon and Descartes influenced its development. I can explain how changes in scientific thought effected European culture and thinking.

Rene Descartes

Who was Francis Bacon?  Francis Bacon lived from in England.  He came from a noble family and was well-educated.  He held government positions and was made a knight.  He is considered a philosopher (thinker) rather than a scientist.  He studied the writings of the great scientists of his time and was very interested in their work.  He did not develop any knew theories. Instead, he developed a system to explore the world. He taught that scientific study should follow a predictable pattern. His ideas are found in his many books. The Advancement of Learning first laid out his ideas in 1605.

Who was Rene Descartes?  Descartes was born in France and lived from  He came from a learned family and was given an education which included classical studies, mathematics and philosophy.  He studied law at the university and then took a military position with the leader of the Netherlands.  He was interested in a number of topics including geometry, optics and meteors. He wrote essays on his areas of study and he is famous for his work.  He is sometimes called the Father of Modern Philosophy. He responsible for a very famous quote: Cogito, ergo sum, “I think, therefore I am.”  He taught that people should doubt everything until it could be proven through reason.

Development of the Scientific Method  The thinking/writing of Bacon and Descartes led to the development of a procedure for doing scientific experiments and research.  From Bacon comes the idea of a systematic process.  From Descartes comes the idea of requiring proof and clear reasoning.

The Six Steps of the Scientific Method 1. State the problem (define the question) 2. Gather information (read other sources and/or observe) 3. Form hypothesis (proposed solution) 4. Perform experiment and collect data 5. Record and analyze data 6. Draw conclusions from the data collected

The Scientific Revolution Effected European Culture and Thinking.  Philosophers began applying scientific thought to other areas of human life.  Attempts to use reason and logic for the improvement of society caused people to reevaluate their governments. This caused a resurgence of democratic ideals.  Growth in the area of science challenged some teachings of the Catholic Church. This caused an undermining of Church influence.