Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish Astronomer

Believed that sun was center (heliocentric)

Tycho Brahe

Danish astronomer

Charts tracking movement of stars

Believed in (heliocentric)

Johannes Kepler

German astronomer

Provided evidence that sun was center

Galileo Galilei

Italian astronomer and physicist

Used telescope to observe celestial bodies and support heliocentric theory

Francis Bacon

English writer

Created scientific method

Rene Descartes

French mathmatition and philosopher

known for analytic geometry and the phrase "I think, therefore I am" and ¨has to have a reason”

Isaac Newton

English philosopher and mathmatition

Gravity

Andreas Versalius

Belgem anatomist

Studied the bodies of criminals

William Harvey

Studied how blood circulatesand discovered the importance of the heart in pumping blood throughout the body

Gabriel Fahrenheit

German engineer and physicist

Created thermometer

Robert Boyle

British chemist

“Father of chemistry”

Benjamin Franklin

American scientist, inventor, and writer

Founding father

Contributed to electricity

Thomas Hobbes

English writer

Believed people were naturally evil

said “without government life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

John Locke

English writer

Believed people were the source of power and that the government must protect our natural rights

said “all people must have rights, including life, liberty and property”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

French writer

Believes government is a social contract between ruler and people

said “No man has any natural authority over his fellow man”

Voltaire

French writer

Believed in Freedom of speech and Religious tolerance as well as separation of church and state

said “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”

Montesquieu

French writer

Believed in separation of powers

said “To become truly great, one has to stand with the people, not above them”

Mary Wollstonecraft

English advocate for woman’s rights

Cesare Beccaria

Opposted cruel punishment and the death penalty, advocating for reforms in the criminal justice system

Adam Smith

Scottish economist and philosopher, known as the father of modern economics

Believed government shouldn’t interfere with economy