Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
Chapter 20 Notes - Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
Main Idea: New intellectual, philosophical, and scientific ideas impacted how humans viewed themselves and how they viewed their physical and spiritual worlds.
New Scientific Ideas
Nicholas Copernicus - polish astronomer who challenged Church ideas about the universe. He believed that the Earth revolved around the Sun instead of the Sun revolving around the Earth.
Johannes Kepler - German astronomer who used mathematics to add on to Copernicus’s theory about planets revolving around the Sun in paths called elliptical orbits. He also found out planets travel at different speeds depending on their distance from the sun. Kepler challenged many Church teachings, but did not fear them because he was Protestant.
Galileo Galilei - Italian mathematician who further proved Copernicus’s theory by observing the night skies. Published his own book but it got banned by the Catholic Church. Established laws of physics.
Francis Bacon - developed scientific method - helped determine myths from proven facts
Rene Descartes - invented analytic geometry and combined philosophy with science
Issac Newton - Made groundbreaking discoveries in math and physics; wrote the book, “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy” and developed calculus
Chemists learned how to make sodas - people believed that it would have healing properties
Astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, anatomy and chemistry rapidly advanced.
Learned about anatomy and physiology by studying the works of Claudius Galen, an ancient Roman.
Andreas Vesalius - dissected human bodies to advance the world of anatomy
William Harvey - advanced medical world and knowledge on circulation.
Robert Hooke - discovered the cell
Robert Boyle - chemist who established it as pure science, rather than magic - criticized alchemists (people who were tr\ying to turn metal into gold)
Joseph Priestley - discovered properties of oxygen and carbon dioxide - quote “Every year of the last twenty or thirty has been of more importance to science… than any ten in the preceding century” - Shows the immense advancements in science during this time period.
Antoine Lavosier - learned that humans consume oxygen and how combustion works
Marie Lavosier - contributed to husband’s work - translated books and made illustrations
All of these scientists contributed to the development of the scientific world and greatly influenced how we see the world today.
It illustrates the separation between science and the Church, since scientists went against church practices. People started to think more secularly due to the introduction of reason. Their personal identity was changed from having religion be the number one priority to other aspects of life.
Scientific discoveries were applied to human ideas and practices, which significantly affected the development of people’s world view.
People were able to understand how their world worked better without using the explanation of mystical forces.
Impact of Science
Development of political theory - idea of natural law - explored by english philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
Tower Physics - Galileo’s Leaning Tower of Pisa
Thomas Hobbes - believed that a monarch should be in charge because humans are naturally violent
John Locke - believed that a government should be cooperative and inclusive because humans are naturally reasonable and moral - Inspired Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence
Laws become more reason based - helped end unjust trials
Hugo Grotius - made an international code based on natural law
William Penn - founder of Pennsylvania; believed in pacifism and advocated for world peace
Applied reason to religion - Europe because more secular
new philosophy called Deism - believed in natural religion based on reason and natural law
Science was introduced into people’s daily lives. It changed the way people thought and allowed them to think more reasonably. This also changed society as a whole, affecting aspects like politics and religion.
Philosophies developed during this time are still used today, and play a large role in our understanding of the world.
Triumph of Reason
Science provided people with clarity in the natural world and with human behavior
Defined the world based on personal views
New discoveries were made and many things were documented
Philosophers - believed in Newton and Locke’s theories and freedom of speech - helped spread ideas from the Enlightenment
Salons - centers in Paris where intellectuals came to discuss new ideas
Madame de Pompadour - woman that ran one of the most popular salons
Development of the French Encyclopedia by Denis Diderot - criticized the Church, but then it got banned and Diderot got sent to prison
Baron de Montesquieu - contributed to the encyclopedia - believed that the government should have branches to keep each other in check - influenced the United States and many other countries
Voltaire - french author who wrote satirical works on the Church and the royal court in France and got sent to prison - admired English system
Ideas from philosophers affected politics - development of freedom of speech and social reforms
Enlightened Despots - monarchs who practiced political ideas of the Enlightenment and aimed to make their government better (ex. Fredrick II of Prussia - king that believed he was the “first servant of the state”)
Maria Theresa of Austria - kind and influential; gave back to her community
Classicism - artisans tried to recreate styles of Greek and Roman works while also staying true to the concept of reason - Examples: sculptors made works with classical subjects, painters used classical styles, writers used classical forms with influence of reason, music became an art form; many new composers like Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart
Many people questioned the philosophies of reason
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - criticized over reasoning, believed people should rely more on emotion and instinct - made many different works and believed humans were good, but society made them evil.
Immanuel Kant - influenced by Rousseau - believed that reason cannot explain metaphysics, only instinct and faith can
John Wesley - emphasised the importance of religious experience
Classicism in the arts led to romanticism, which emphasized feeling and emotion
Reason provided people with a sense of understanding. New ideas boosted the education and intelligence of daily citizens.
People thought more independently, leading to new discoveries and advancements in speech freedoms.
People got an understanding of how their world works and how they believed it should work.
Led to understanding the need for both reason and emotion.
Summary:
Chapter 20 Notes - Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
Main Idea: New ideas transformed how humans perceived themselves and their worlds.
New Scientific Ideas:
Copernicus: Proposed heliocentric model (Earth revolves around the Sun).
Kepler: Added mathematical support, discovered elliptical orbits.
Galileo: Observed night skies, established physics laws, published controversial book.
Bacon: Developed scientific method.
Descartes: Combined philosophy and science.
Newton: Groundbreaking work in math and physics; wrote "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy."
Significant advancements in anatomy and chemistry by Vesalius, Harvey, Hooke, Boyle, Priestley, and Lavosier.
Impact of Science:
Influenced political theory (Hobbes and Locke).
Laws became more reason-based, reducing unjust trials.
Science prompted secular thinking, exemplified by Deism.
Philosophical ideas on personal identity and reasoned religion changed societal views.
Triumph of Reason:
Promoted clarity in natural world and human behavior.
Philosophers influenced Enlightenment ideas.
Salons and the French Encyclopedia spread knowledge, faced censorship.
Enlightened Despots sought government improvements.
Classicism and Romanticism emerged, emphasizing reason and emotion.
Overall, the integration of reason and scientific discoveries reshaped education, governance, and individual thought.
The innovations of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment profoundly transformed human understanding by promoting reason, advancing scientific inquiry, and encouraging secular thinking, which reshaped societal views on identity, governance, and individual freedoms.