Chapter 16 - Toward a New Worldview

Natural Philosophy

Natural Philosophy

an early modern term for the study of the nature of the universe, its purpose, and how it functioned; encompassed what we call science today

Aristotelian View

stated that the Earth was fixed at the center of the universe, with the Sun, planets, and stars revolving around it

established universities, Renaissance patronage and thought, world exploration, the printing press

Causes of the Scientific Revolution:

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish cleric of the 15th/16th century who kickstarted the Scientific Revolution; opposed the geocentric view

Copernican Hypothesis

the idea that the sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe

Tycho Brahe

16th century astronomer who made meticulous naked-eye observations of the planets and the stars

“On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”

Copernicus’s work published in 1453, the year of his death

Johannes Kepler

used Brahe’s astronomical data to develop his laws of planetary motion and support Copernicus’s theory

Galileo Galilei

Italian astronomer who observed the detail of the Moon and Sun, proposed new theories of motion, and went against pre-existing geocentric belief

Catholic Church

The _____ opposed Galileo’s theories:

Law of Inertia

a law hypothesized by Galileo that states that motion, not rest, is the natural state of an object, and that an object continues in motion forever unless stopped by some external force

Isaac Newton

English scientist who united experimental and theoretical mathematical sides of modern science to explain the forces of movement

Law of Universal Gravitation

Newton’s law that all objects are attracted to one another and that the force of attraction is proportional to the objects’ quantity of matter and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

Francis Bacon

argued that new knowledge had to be pursued through empirical research

Inductive Reasoning

a method of drawing conclusions by going from the specific to the general

Rene Descartes

argued about the state of the universe

Cartesian Dualism

Descartes’s view that all of reality could be ultimately be reduced to mind and matter

Deductive Reasoning

a logical approach where you progress from general ideas to specific conclusions

Andreas Vesalius

Flemish physician studied anatomy by dissecting human bodies (prisoners)

William Harvey

discovered the circulation of blood through the veins and arteries and was the first to explain that the worked like a pump

Robert Boyle

undertook experiment to understand physics and chemistry, finding that the pressure of a gas varies inversely with volume

Rationalism

a secular, critical way of thinking in which nothing was to be accepted on faith and everything was to be submitted to reason

Sensationalism

the idea that all human ideas and thoughts are produced as a result of sensory impressions

Enlightenment

the influential intellectual and cultural movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries that introduced a new worldview based on the use of reason, the scientific method, and progress

Philosophes

a group of French intellectuals who proclaimed that they were bringing the light of knowledge to their fellow humans in the Age of Enlightenment

John Locke

theorized that all ideas are derived from experience and advocated the education of children and the protection of natural rights

Thomas Hobbes

believed in the hateful nature of humanity and advocated the need for an absolute leader

Montesquieu

proposed ideas of checks and balances and a limited government, favoring constitutionalism over absolutism

Voltaire

advocated for the freedom of speech/press, religious tolerance, and opposed religious fanaticism

Rosseau

believed in the social contract, only one to believe in a democracy, and argued for separate spheres for women and men

Mary Wollstonecraft

argued for educational equality for women

Denis Diderot

created the Encyclopedia, a compilation of all current knowledge

Adam Smith

published the “Wealth of Nations”, advocated for a capitalist, laissez-faire economy

Salon

regular social gathering held by talented and rich Parisians in their homes, where philosophes and their followers met to discuss literature, science, and philosophy

Rococo

popular style in Europe in the eighteenth century, known for its soft pastels, ornate interiors, sentimental portraits, and starry-eyed lovers protected by hovering cupids

Coffeehouse

a hub of philosophical and critical debate, especially in England (similar to salons)

wealthy

The Enlightenment was led by _____ men and women:

the ordinary, poor population

Enlightenment thought was not directed at:

Deism

belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation - “Watchmaker”

Public Sphere

an idealized intellectual space that emerged in Europe during the Enlightenment, where the public came together to discuss important issues relating to society, economics, and politics

Enlightened Absolutism

term coined by historians to describe the rule of 18th century monarchs who, without renouncing their own absolute authority, adopted Enlightenment ideals of rationalism, progress, and tolerance

Frederick the Great (II)

Prussian enlightened ruler who pushed for abolishment of torture, free press, public education, and religious tolerance

Cameralism

view that monarchy was the best form of government, that all elements of society should serve the monarch, and that, in turn, the state should use its resources and authority to increase the public good

“The king is the first servant of the state”

Frederick the Great believed:

War of Austrian Succession

central European conflict from 1740-1748 fought over Silesia between Austria and Prussia

Seven Years’ War (Central Europe)

fought from 1756-1763 as Austria sought to regain Silesia; this war brought international powers like France and Britain to get involved in the conflict

Prussia

_____ becomes the Eastern European power during this time:

Catherine the Great

Russian ruler who continued policies of Westernization, as well as codifying laws, restricting torture, progressing education, and increased religious toleration

Voltaire and Diderot

Catherine the Great brought in Western European thinkers like:

Pugachev’s Rebellion

serf uprising in 1773 in Russia led by Emelian Pugachev

Pugachev’s rebellion

Initially, Catherine the Great lessened serfdom, but after _____, she intensified it:

Pale of Settlement

Catherine the Great expelled Jews from Russia, forcing them into Poland

Partitions of Poland

conquest of Poland by Prussia, Austria, and Russia due to their stronger military

Maria Theresa

Austrian enlightened ruler

expand the power of the Habsburg dynasty through marriag

Maria Theresa had many children to:

Joseph II

son of Maria Theresa, very radical with Enlightened th

Haskalah

the Jewish Enlightenment of the second half of the eighteenth century, led by the Prussian philosopher Moses Mendelssohn

Toleration of Jews during the Enlighten