Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

Scientific Revolution

A period marked by major transformations in science, including the development of the scientific method and significant discoveries in astronomy and physics.

Renaissance

Influenced the Scientific Revolution by fostering a spirit of inquiry, curiosity, a focus on humanism, and a willingness to disagree with authority that contributed to scientific advancements.

Scientific Method

An approach to acquiring knowledge that involves asking 'how' instead of 'why,' conducting experiments, and making observations to form and test hypotheses.

Astronomy

Important for understanding celestial bodies, their movements, and the structure of the universe.

Ptolemaic system

An Earth-centered model of the universe that was later challenged by the Copernican system.

Copernican system

A heliocentric model of the universe proposed by Copernicus, placing the Sun at the center with planets orbiting around it.

Tycho Brahe

Astronomer known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical observations, which later influenced Kepler's work.

Johannes Kepler

Discovered the laws of planetary motion, including the elliptical orbits of planets around the Sun.

Galileo Galilei

Made significant astronomical discoveries, faced conflict with the church for his support of heliocentrism, and wrote 'Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.'

Rene Descartes

Advocated for deductive reasoning as a method for acquiring knowledge, emphasizing skepticism and the importance of clear and distinct ideas.

Francis Bacon

Promoted inductive reasoning as a means of scientific inquiry, emphasizing empirical observation, experimentation, and the accumulation of data.

Isaac Newton

Formulated the laws of motion, made significant contributions to optics, and discovered the law of universal gravitation.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement characterized by reason, individualism, and skepticism towards traditional authority, leading to advancements in philosophy, science, and politics.

Philosophes

Intellectuals who advocated for reason, science, and individual rights during the Enlightenment, contributing to social and political reforms.

Robert Boyle

Irish chemist who established that air has weight and whose definitions of chemical elements and chemical reactions helped to dissociate chemistry from alchemy (1627-1691)

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek

Made pioneering contributions to the field of microbiology through the development of the microscope.

William Harvey

Discovered the circulation of blood in the human body, revolutionizing the understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Andreas Vesalius

Published 'De humani corporis fabrica,' a groundbreaking work on human anatomy.

Characteristics of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was characterized by a focus on reason, science, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority

Thomas Hobbes

Known for his work 'Leviathan,' where he discussed the social contract and the need for a strong central authority.

John Locke

Advocated for natural rights, including life, liberty, and property, influencing democratic principles.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Emphasized the concept of the 'general will' and the importance of popular sovereignty.

Voltaire

Championed freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and separation of church and state.

Baron de Montesquieu

Proposed the separation of powers in government to prevent tyranny and protect individual freedoms.

Cesare Beccaria

Advocated for criminal justice reform and the abolition of torture.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Pioneered feminist thought and argued for women's rights and education.

Influence of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment influenced the American and French Revolutions by inspiring ideas of liberty, democracy, and individual rights.\nEnlightenment principles were reflected in documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.\nEnlightened despots, such as Frederick the Great and Catherine the Great, implemented reforms based on Enlightenment ideals.

Backlash to the Enlightenment

People started to reject the extreme push to solve everything with reason and knowledge, leading to an increased focus on emotion and feeling; Immanuel Kant and Rousseau (yes that one, were some of the main intellectual forces behind it.

Immanuel Kant

German philosopher of Enlightenment-separated science and morality into separate branches of knowledge-science could describe nature, it could not provide a guide for morality. Wrote Critique of Pure Reason

Romanticism

A movement in the arts and literature that emphasized the emotional, wild and unrestrained, doom and gloom, the power of nature

Copernicus

1473-1543. Polish astronomer who was the first to formulate a scientifically based heliocentric cosmology that displaced the earth from the center of the universe. This theory is considered the epiphany that began the Scientific Revolution.

Deism

A popular Enlightenment era belief that there is a God, but that God isn't involved in people's lives or in revealing truths to prophets.

Enlightened Despots

A monarch who retains absolute control of their country while also enacting reform based on Enlightenment ideas.

Philosophes

Intellectuals who advocated for social reform, religious tolerance, and the spread of knowledge.\nKey figures like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu promoted ideas of liberty, equality, and constitutional government.

Three Laws of Motion

Defined by Isaac Newton, they were the basic concepts of mechanics. 1-every object continues in rest or motion in a straight line until deflected by a force; 2-the rate of change of an object is proportional to the force acting on it; 3-to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. These laws applied to astronomy

Optics contributions

The study of how light behaves, allows Newton to design the most powerful telescope of the time as well as look at color

Gravity

A force that pulls objects toward each other, discovered by Newton, it solves the holes in both Copernicus and Galileo's work

Paracelsus

He followed a chemical philosophy that a human was a small replica of the larger world. He used chemical remedies that went for each sickness, He is associated with diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Salons

Informal social gatherings at which writers, artists, philosophes, and others exchanged ideas; Often hosted by French women

William Penn

Founded the Colony of Pennsylvania and he was the leader of the Quakers; Pacifist; Argument is "If Natural Law governs & logic and reason can solve all issues then war is always wrong"

Denis Diderot

Philosopher who edited a book called the Encyclopedia which was banned by the French king and pope.

Absolutism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute monarch (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.); Louis XIV might be the most famous

Jean Jacques Rousseau (anti-Enlightenment)

Math, science and reason cannot account for emotions (love, jealousy, hate, etc) nor for God; believed Enlightenment is lacking

Renaissance Artwork

Portrayed religious figures but also well known people of the time who displayed humanists characteristics. Artwork was sponsored by wealthy patrons. they favored the Greek and Roman style of art

Baroque Artwork

Desire of the Catholic Church in Rome to reassert itself in the wake of the Protestant Reformation; Reflected the excitement of overseas exploration and discoveries of astronomy; Emphasized emotion and dynamism, rather than rationality

Neoclassicism Artwork

Heroic style of artwork that painted ancient myths to contemporary events, reaction to the heavy Baroque style of the Counter Reformation

Romanticism Artwork

Appeal to emotional, wild and unrestrained, doom and gloom, the power of nature