1. Notes – 10-29-13

2.  With the new idea of the universe having the sun at the center and not the Earth, people began to think and doubt the world around them.  French philosopher Rene Descartes began writing about that uncertainty and confusion that seemed to be everywhere.

3.  In his Discourse on Method (1637) he decided to set aside all he had learned and begin again.  He said that he can only be sure of one thing – his own existence.  He was confident in saying he would accept only those things his reason (his good sense and judgment) said were true.

4.  Descartes said he can’t doubt the existence of his mind (the mental world) – “I think, therefore I am” – but he could doubt the existence of the material world so they must be separate.  He separated mind and matter. This made matter something that was totally detached from the observer that could be investigated by reason.

6.  Descartes has been called the father of modern rationalism.  This system of thought is based on the idea that reason is the chief source of knowledge.

7.  During the Scientific Revolution, people were concerned about how they could best understand the physical universe.  They created the scientific method, the procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence.  The philosopher Francis Bacon was most responsible for this method.

8.  Bacon said that instead of relying on ideas from ancient thinkers, scientists should use inductive reasoning to arrive at conclusions about nature.  They should make careful observations and conduct organized experiments to test a hypothesis.  Bacon wanted science to benefit industry, agriculture and trade.