The Age of Science

Copernicus

Polish astronomer who published “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres,” proposing a heliocentric model of the universe.

Margret Cavendish

Despite numerous contributions to science, she was often overlooked in her time. She wrote about the scientific method and criticized the male-dominated scientific community.

Vesalius

Based on observations of the human body, this man’s work proved that blood vessels were not formed from the liver, as previously believed by Galen, but from the heart.

Galileo

Italian scientist who “recanted” his discoveries when put on trail by the inquisition.

Descartes

French thinker whose “Discourse on Methods” was placed in the Index of Forbidden books".

Isaac Newton

English scientist whose most important work, “Principia”, set out proof of the universal law gravitation.

Francis Bacon

English philosopher and statesman who is known for developing the scientific method and promoting empiricism.

Kepler

German astronomer who built on the works of Brahe and discovered the 3 laws of planetary motion.

William Harvey

He discovered that the heart is the starting point of the body’s circulatory system, which involves both the arteries and veins.

Maria Winkelmann

German astronomer denied a position at the Berlin Academy; Not given credit for discoveries until the 1930’s.

Diderot

Frenchmen who attempted to catalogue all known knowledge into his Encyclopedia.

John Locke

Englishman whose Two Treatise on Government argued that the role of government was to protect the people’s natural rights.

Catherine the Great

Russian leader who claimed to want reforms but in the end, did little in order to avoid alienating the landholding class.

Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker who advocated in The Social Contract that the best was for society to be governed was according to the general will.

Francois Quesnay

French Enlightenment thinker who advocated religious tolerance. His criticism of the French government resulted in his imprisonment in the Bastille.

Joseph II

Austrian leader whose program of reform, including freeing the serfs complete religious tolerance, alienated many nobles and churchmen.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Her Vindication of the Rights of Women argued that women should be entitled to the same rights as men.

Adam Smith

Scottish thinker whose Wealth of Nations was a criticism of the economic policy of mercantilism.

Voltaire

Frenchmen who was an advocate of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Montesquieu

French political thinker who argued the best way to avoid corruption & abuse of power in was to divide the power amongst different branches