1. The Scientific Revolution & The Enlightenment Week 2-4
Global 2
Ms. Lyons

2. Scientific Revolution
Questioned ideas about the world
Did NOT listen to the ideas of church
Wanted proof of facts

3. People of the Scientific Revolution
Nicolaus Copernicus
heliocentric model (sun-centered) – planets revolve around the sun NOT the Earth– no one listened to him
Galileo Galilei
made a telescope – proved heliocentric theory was true – people mad he went against the Church – went on trial – had to take back ideas publicly
Isaac Newton
used math to prove gravity existed
Rene Descartes
human reason, NOT tradition should create knowledge

4. Scientific Method 1600’s: New way of thinking.
It relies on experimentation & observation, NOT authority.
State problem
Collect info
Hypothesis
Experiment
Record & analyze data
Conclusion
Repeat steps 1-6

5. Enlightenment
1700’s: People rejected traditional ideas & supported human reason. New views on power, government, & law.

6. Enlightenment Philosophers
John Locke:
All people have natural rights (life, liberty, & property)
Government’s job = protect natural rights
Later influenced Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence & French revolution
Baron de Montesquieu
Separation of powers: 3 branches (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
Checks & balances: prevents too much power in one branch
Voltaire
Freedom of thought, speech, religion
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Wrote The Social Contract
People stop being selfish & come together for the general good

7. Impact of Enlightenment
Government Censorship
Church & gov’t defend selves
censored Enlightenment ideas & threw writers (Voltaire) in prison & burned books
Enlightened Despots: absolute rulers who accepted Enlightenment ideas & used power to reform society
Maria Theresa
Austria, taxed rich to help poor, made primary education available to all kids
Joseph II (son of Maria Theresa)
most radical despot, chose gov’t officials for talent, not status, legal reforms, religious tolerance, ended censorship, ended serfdom
later reforms were overturned by other rulers)
Catherine the Great
Russia, asked for advice of Russian people, built schools/hospitals, education for women, religious tolerance
Catherine overturned these later after she became more repressive following a peasant uprising
Democracy/Nationalism
inspired individualism, personal freedom, human equality  DEMOCRACY grew.
People = together for democracy – NATIONALISM.
ideas contribute to age of REVOLUTION!