Scientific Revolution

natural philosophy

proposes systems for how the natural world works; predecessor to modern science

Greco-Roman logic

ideas created during Greek and Roman times

skepticism

questioning the validity of assumed truth; old theories challenged
not knowing the truth

Copernicus

(1473-1545)
15th century mathematician demonstrates mathematically that the Earth rotates around the sun (heliocentric)

Geometric Model

created by Ptolemy
everything revolves around the earth
church agrees because says in Bible

Heliocentric Model

earth revolves around the sun
church dislikes
created by Copernicus and further improved by Kepler and Galileo

Tycho Brache

Danish nobleman and astronomer who observes new stars and comets
mentors Kepler

Johannes Kepler

German astronomer, formulated three laws of planetary motion

3 Laws of Planetary Motion

Orbits are elliptical (not circular)
Velocity of an orbit is non uniform
Revolution time proportional to distance from the sun

Galileo Galileo

(1564-1624)
invents observational tools for observing the natural world
confirms Copernican model
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems comparing Ptolemaic and the Copernacain systems (placed on Index of Prohibited Books)
forced t recant because of heresy

scientific method

building theories on testable, observable, repeatable events

Issac Newton

scientific method towards physics
publishes Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
defines universal law of physics
invents calculus

Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

describes universal gravitation (all objects have gravity)
ties together and justifies work of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo

Natural Philosophers

proto scientists

Royal Societies of Philosophers

organizations of scientists to question, develop, and test new ideas

inductive reasoning

creating theories using observations laid ground work for modern scientific method

confirmation bias

observed tendency to notice/interpret data that confirms existing beliefs

Francis Bacon

(1561-1626)
inductive reasoning
confirmation bias
noted human mind's desire for order and patterns

deductive reasoning

establish truths through logical premises; use truths to build more truths

Rene Descartes

(1595-1650)
cogito ergo sum- the only thing we know for sure is that if we think, we must exist
deductive reasoning-premises are correct then conclusions are correct
dualism

Dualism

the mind/soul and body are separate
Catholic Church agrees because supporters soul goes to heaven
opposite of monism

Blaise Pascal

(1623-1662)
French philosopher and mathematician who designed mathematics of probability, demonstrated air had weight)
Pensees
Pascal's wager

Pensees

life is miserable; God is great and the solution
earthy happiness is an illusion; we hate reality and misery is normal

Pascal's Wager

if someone doesn't believe in God but he does exist=hell
if someone doesn't believe in God but doesn't exist=nothing happens
reason to still believe in God no matter what

Baruch Spinoza

(1632-1677)
Dutch philosopher renowned for challenging religion
Pantheist
raised Jewish but shunned due to open challenges to religion
said religions order and texts made by man so fallible (divine right and moral relativity)
God does not directly interact with or act on our existence
Monism

Pantheist

if God is infinite and transcendent, all things have God in them including bad things; if God and the world are seperate, God must be finite

Monism

the mind/soul and body are connect and die together
opposite of dualism