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Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment

Global 2Ms. Lyons

Timeline

1517: Martin Luther posts 95 Theses Late 1500’s: Scientific Revolution begins 1700’s: Enlightenment

Scientific Revolution: Think for Ourselves!

No longer listened to what the Church told them to believe

Asked questions Wanted proof of all facts

Important Scientists

Nicolaus Copernicus Sun is in the center of the universe (NOT the Earth) Heliocentric model

Galileo Galilei Used the telescope to prove the heliocentric theory

was true Church made him recant (take back) his statements

Issac Newton Used math to prove gravity existed

Scientific Method

New way of thinking Relies on experimentation & observation to

explain theories

Enlightenment

By the 1700’s, people were questioning more than science…

They challenged traditional ways of government Supported use of human reason

Enlightenment Philosophers

Descartes Hobbes Locke Montesquieu Voltaire Rousseau Wollstonecraft

Rene Descartes

French man Wrote of the power of human reason

Thomas Hobbes

Wrote the book, The Leviathan

Man is naturally: greedy, selfish, & cruel Society would be crazy without a government to

control everyone Social Contract: people give up freedoms for

safety Revolutions are bad. Absolute monarchs are good.

John Locke

Wrote the book, Two Treatises of Government

All people have natural rights (life, liberty, property)

Government’s job to protect those rights If not, people have a right to start a revolution

Baron de Montesquieu

French man who wrote The Spirit of Laws

Government should divide itself into separate branches Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Checks & Balances: prevents one branch from becoming too strong

Voltaire

French philosopher Said: "I do not agree with a word that you say, but

I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Believed freedom of speech was the best

weapon against bad government

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Wrote The Social Contract

Claimed people were naturally good Cause of problems: society’s unequal distribution

of wealth General will (majority rules) should run the

government

Mary Wollstonecraft

Female British philosopher Wrote Vindications of the Rights of Women

Promoted education for women Rousseau argued with her

Women should stay in the house

Effects of the Enlightenment

Government censorship of new ideas Voltaire thrown in prison, books burned

Enlightened Despots (Monarchs who weren’t all evil) Catherine the Great (Russia) – gave people a voice,

built schools, education for women, religious tolerance

Revolution & Democracy Great Britain, United States, France, Latin America Declaration of Independence…