1. Section1: The Scientific Revolution
Main Idea: The scientific revolution gave Europeans a new way to view the human races’ place in the universe.

2. Revolution in Astronomy
Ptolemy
Greek/Egyptian astronomer who lived in the 2nd century CE
Geocentric model of the universe
Geo = Earth
Centric = center

3. Ptolemaic System
Planet Earth is at the center of the universe and does not move
Universe is a series of concentric spheres
Developed during the Middle Ages ( CE)

4. Nicholas Copernicus Polish mathematician
Proposed a heliocentric model of the universe
Helio = sun
Argued the perceived movement of the sun was really the Earth rotating on its axis and moving on its orbit around the sun

5. Johannes Kepler German mathematician
Expanded upon Copernicus’ research & developed laws of planetary motion
The sun IS the center of the universe
The orbits of planets around the sun were an ellipse (egg), helped prove Copernicus’ theory.

6. Galileo Galilei Italian astronomer & mathematician
1st European to make regular observations with a telescope
Mountains on the moon
Four moons revolving around Jupiter
Sunspots
Heavenly bodies were made of substances similar to those found on Earth, not light!

7. Galileo & the Catholic Church
Ordered to abandon the Copernican model
Contradicted the teachings of the Church & the Bible
Galileo was put on trial and found guilty of heresy & disobedience

8. Sir Isaac Newton English mathematician Universal Law of Gravitation
Every object in the universe is attracted to every other object by a force called gravity
Saw the universe as a huge machine operating according to natural laws

9. Andreas Vesalius Published On the Fabric of the Human Body in 1543
His discoveries made by dissecting human cadavers
Detailed observations of organs and structure of the human body

10. William Harvey On the Motion of the Heart and Blood (1628)
Heart was the beginning point for circulation of blood in the body
The same blood flows through veins & arteries
Blood makes a complete circuit through the body before returning to the heart

11. Women & Science in Germany
Between nearly 15% of all German astronomers were female
Trained by their husbands and fathers at family observatories
Maria Winkleman: most famous German female astronomer
Despite her academic credentials she was denied a teaching position at the Berlin Academy b/c they feared hiring a woman would set a bad example

12. Rene Descartes & Reason
17th century French philosopher
Considered the father of rationalism
Rationalism: belief that reason is the main source of human knowledge; Our ability to think and reason through problems allows the human race to acquire knowledge

13. Descartes Famous Principles
Separation of mind and matter
Matter is dead, & could be studied using reason
Matter was separate from humans
The one fact that is true beyond any doubt: our own existence!
Emphasized the power of human thought
“I THINK, THEREFORE I AM!”

14. The Scientific Method
Developed by Englishman Francis Bacon (mmmm…bacon!)
Systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence
Do NOT rely on the ideas of ancients
Carefully organized experiments would lead to the development of correct principles

15. Section 2: The Enlightenment
Main Idea: 18th Century philosophers used the ideas of the Scientific Revolution to reexamine all aspect of life…especially the role of government and the rights of human beings

16. What is the Enlightenment??
An 18th century philosophical (ideas!) movement based on the use of:
Reason
Discoveries of the Scientific Revolution
Scientific Method
In order to reexamine all aspects of life and society in order to create a better world!

17. Isaac Newton’s Influence
Newton’s Laws (gravity, motion) showed that the physical world is like a giant machine operating under fixed laws
Intellectuals (deep thinkers!) of the Enlightenment sought the laws that govern human society

18. John Locke’s Influence
Tabula Rasa (blank mind)
People become who they are through experience
Through our senses
Through our thoughts
Through our emotions

19. John Locke’s Influence
If people were exposed to the right experiences then they could be changed, creating a new & better society
Led to the belief that people could discover the natural laws that all should follow in order to produce the ideal society

20. What is a philosophe?? Came mostly from the nobility & middle class
Nickname for the intellectuals of the Enlightenment (French term for philosopher)
Came mostly from the nobility & middle class
Writers
Professors
Journalists
Economists
Social reformers

21. An International Movement
Englishmen provided the philosophical inspiration for the Enlightenment, but…
French philosophes influenced intellectuals across Europe and truly created a movement that changed the Western World
Movement evolved over the span of a century
Rational criticism should be applied to all areas of life, including religion & politics

22. Baron de Montesquieu
Used the scientific method to find the natural laws governing society & politics
Published his study, The Spirit of the Laws, in 1748

23. Montesquieu’s Influence
The most effective govt’s function b/c of a separation of powers
A system of checks & balances prevents any one person or branch from gaining too much power

24. Montesquieu’s Influence
3 branches of Gov’t:
Executive (enforce laws)
Legislative (make laws)
Judicial (interpret laws)
In the United States:
Executive = President
Legislative = Congress
Judicial = Supreme Court

25. Voltaire: Greatest of the Enlightenment
Wrote endlessly!
Novels
Plays
Letters
Essays
Best known for:
Criticism of Christianity
Belief in religious toleration

26. Voltaire & Religion God created it Set it in motion
Treatise on Toleration, 1763
Main Point: “all men are brothers under God.”
Champion of religious philosophy Deism:
Based on reason & natural law
Viewed the universe as a clock:
God created it
Set it in motion
Allows it to run according to natural laws WITHOUT His influence

27. Denis Diderot
Most lasting contribution to the Enlightenment was editing the 28 volume Encyclopedia
His goal with this collection of knowledge was to, “change the general way of thinking.”

28. Diderot’s Lasting Influence
Encyclopedia was sold to doctors, lawyers, clergymen, teachers, & other members of the nobility & middle class
This allowed the ideas of the Enlightenment to spread all over Europe
Religious toleration
Changes in the structure of the legal & political systems, as well as society as a whole

29. Adam Smith: America’s Economic Inspiration
Wrote the best interpretation of laissez-faire economics with Wealth of Nations , 1776
He assigned only 3 roles to the government:
Protect citizens from invasion – Maintain an army
Protect citizens from injustice – Maintain the police
Keep up w/ public works & infrastructure projects too expensive for private individuals
Roads, bridges, canals, dams, etc.

30. Jean Jacques Rousseau The Social Contract, 1762
Through a SOCIAL CONTRACT, and entire society agrees to be governed by the GENERAL WILL
The “general will” represents what is best for the entire society
What are some examples of laws that govern our lives that protect the safety of all members of our community?

31. Women’s Rights: Mary Wollstonecraft
Old Argument: women’s natural ways made them inferior to men, therefore it was necessary for males to dominate females
Mary’s Argument: A Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1792

32. Mary’s Two Main Points
#1: The arbitrary power of men over women is as wrong as the arbitrary power of monarchs over their subjects!
#2: Enlightenment is based on the ideal that all humans have the power to reason. Because women are able to reason they should have the same rights as men!

33. The Growth of Reading
Both the amount of items being published & the number of readers grew rapidly during the 18th century
Many new books were directed at the new reading middle class
Daily newspapers also appeared for the first time in London in 1702

34. The Salon
Elegant drawing rooms of the wealthy elite where guests gathered to discuss the new ideas & works of the philosophes
Brought many different classes & groups of people together
Key piece in the spread of Enlightenment ideas

35. The Salon