Intellectual Revolutions that Defined Society

Flashcards covering the Scientific Revolution, Charles Darwin's theory of Natural Selection, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, and Mesoamerican science.

Scientific Revolution

A period of enlightenment when developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry transformed society's views.

Nicolaus Copernicus

A Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model (sun-centered universe) and challenged the geocentric (Earth-centered) view.

The Origin of Species

The book published by Charles Darwin in $1859$ that presented evidence for changes in species through natural selection.

Overproduction

The concept in natural selection where organisms produce more offspring than can survive.

Struggle for existence

A main concept of natural selection referring to the competition for survival among organisms.

Variations

Differences among individuals within a species, which is a key concept of Darwin's theory.

Survival of the fittest

One of the seven main concepts of natural selection where those best adapted to their environment survive.

Speciation

The formation of new species over time as part of the process of natural selection.

Natural Selection

The process by which nature selects favorable traits, as proposed by Charles Darwin.

Galapagos Tortoise

A species studied by Darwin that had short legs and necks on low shrubbery islands and long legs and necks on taller vegetation islands.

Marine Iguana

A species unique to the Galapagos with longer claws to grip rocks, dark skin for camouflage, sharp teeth for scraping algae, and a strong tail for swimming.

Finch

A bird species studied by Darwin whose beak size and shape depend on diet, such as short broad beaks for crushing seeds or long narrow beaks for probing insects.

Psychoanalysis

The founder of this study is Sigmund Freud, and it focuses on explaining human behavior.

ID

The impulsive and unconscious part of the psyche that responds directly to basic urges, needs, and desires.

EGO

The part of the psyche, modified by the direct influence of the external world, that interacts with the id.

SUPEREGO

The part of the psyche that incorporates values and morals learned from parents; it develops during the phallic stage around age $3-5$.

Unconscious

The largest level of consciousness, containing thoughts, desires, and impulses of which we are not aware.

Preconscious

The level of consciousness containing thoughts and knowledge that we can readily call to consciousness.

Oral Stage

The first psychosexual stage (age $0-2$) where gratification occurs through feeding, thumb sucking, and babbling.

Anal Stage

The psychosexual stage (age $2-3$) where a child learns to respond to societal demands regarding bowel and bladder control.

Phallic Stage

The psychosexual stage (age $3-7$) where a child learns the differences between males and females and becomes aware of sexuality.

Latency Stage

The psychosexual stage (age $7-11$) where children continue to develop while sexual urges remain relatively quiet.

Genital Stage

The final psychosexual stage (age $11$ to Adult) where the adolescent learns to deal maturely with the opposite sex.

Mesoamerican Civilizations

Advanced societies including the Maya, Aztec, and Olmec who made significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and agriculture.