Unit 4 AP European History Key Terms

Scientific Revolution

refers to the rapid advances in European scientific, mathematical based on a new philosophy of empiricism and a faith in progress that defined Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Geocentric Universe

In astronomy, this system (also known as Ptolemaic system) is a superseded description of the universe with the Earth at the center.

Heliocentric Universe

having or representing the sun as the center, as in the accepted astronomical model of the solar system.

Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543)

a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

was a German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his laws of planetary motion, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He is also known for his conflict with the Roman Catholic Church who placed him under house arrest for the last few years of his life which marked the most dramatic disagreement between the science and church community.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion

Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)

an anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica. Vesalius is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

works helped define and popularize the scientific method. His form of inductive reasoning, known as empiricism, was based on experimental research rather than assumptions.

William Harvey (1578-1657)

Discovered the circulation of blood and the role of the heart in propelling it. Harvey developed an accurate theory of how the heart and circulatory system operated.

Paracelsus (1493-1541)

He was a pioneer in several aspects of the "medical revolution" of the Renaissance, emphasizing the value of observation in combination with received wisdom. He is credited as the "father of toxicology"

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

French philosopher and mathematician who lived from 1596-1650. His discourse on Method states that all assumptions had to be proven on the basis of known facts. He wrote, "I think; therefore, I am." His method of questioning was built upon a strict, orderly logical reasoning.

Alchemy

The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter. It was concerned particularly with attempts to convert base metals into gold or to find a universal elixir.

Astrology

the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

Galen (130-210)

was a prominent Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman Empire

Montesquieu

French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Age of Enlightenment. His work The Spirit of Laws is significant because his idea regarding separation of powers in government is widely used today in many constitutions.

Cesare Baccaria

An Italian philosopher whose main focus was legal reform; published "On Crimes and Punishment" in which he attacked torture and capital punishment; also, he believed in speedy trials and fair punishment.

John Locke

Among the most famous philosophers and political theorists of the 17th century. He is often regarded as the founder of a school of thought known as British Empiricism, and he made foundational contributions to modern theories of limited, liberal government. His famous works include Two Treaties of Government.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Author of The Social Contract, he helped inspire political reforms or revolutions in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract argued against the idea that monarchs were divinely empowered to legislate. He asserted that only the people, who are sovereign, have that all-powerful right.

Mary Wollstonecraft

English writer who advocated for women's equality. Her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman pressed for educational reforms.

Olympe de Gouges

best known for her political writing and support of the French Revolution. Considered a feminist pioneer, was an advocate of women's rights. Her most famous work was The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, (1791).

French Salon

played an integral role in the cultural and intellectual development of France and became a center of intellectual as well as social exchange,

Adam Smith

was an economist and philosopher who wrote what is considered the "bible of capitalism," The Wealth of Nations, in which he details the first system of political economy.

Physiocrats

18th century French thinkers who attacked the mercantilist regulation of the economy, advocated limited economic role for government, and believed that all economic production depended on sound agriculture.

Deism

a belief in a rational God who had created the universe but then allowed it to function without his interference according to the mechanisms of nature and a belief in rewards and punishments after death for human action.