Scientific Revolution Overview

Toward a New World View

The Scientific Revolution

Introduction

There were profound changes in the world-view of Europeans in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The primary cause was the Scientific Revolution. (1543-present)

Introduction

The most profound change in human history?

Introduction

The new intellectual climate differed from the medieval world-view:

Rejection of authority. Best knowledge was practical.

Demystification of the universe.

Introduction

Intellectuals in this era differed from their predecessors by combining mathematics and experiment.

Roots of the Scientific Revolution

Ancient Egypt

Introduction

China – movable type, paper, astronomy

Introduction

Islamic Empire: – medicine, preservation of Greek texts, astronomy, mathematics

Introduction

Medieval Europe

Introduction

The Aristotelian-Ptolemaic Universe Geocentric/Earth

Centered

Introduction

10 separate, transparent, crystal spheres First 8 held the

moon, sun, planets, stars.

2 added during Middle Ages.

Heaven lay beyond the 10th sphere.

Angels kept the spheres moving.

Introduction

Sublunar world 4 Elements:

Earth, water; fire, air.

Uniform force moved objects until something stopped it.

The Great Chain of Being

Introduction

The Church invested greatly in this world-view.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

Polish monk. Observed

patterns of star and planet movement.

On the Revolutions of Celestial Bodies (1543)


Heliocentrism


Called into question the literal truth of the Scriptures.

Copernicus waited to publish his findings.

The Heliocentric (Copernican) Universe


Niccolo Tartaglia was the first to apply mathematics to the investigation of the trajectory of cannonballs.

His work was later validated by Galileo's studies on falling bodies.


Gian Battista Benedetti proposed a new doctrine of the speed of bodies in free fall.

The speed depends on the difference between the specific gravity of the body and that of the medium it falls through.


Tyco Brahe was a Danish nobleman who set the stage for modern astronomy by building an observatory and collecting data.

He was known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Italian scientist.

Improved the telescope.

Formulated Laws of Motion and Inertia.


Proved the Copernican view of the universe. Moon Planets Stars Sunspots

Wrote in the vernacular.

Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany (1615)

Written to address the conflict between the Bible and heliocentric theory.

Argued that the Bible must be interpreted in light of scientific knowledge.

Argued for a non-literal interpretation of the Bible.

Galileo declared the Bible teaches how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.

The letter began Galileo’s troubles with the Church.

The Scientific Revolution 1633 – Church arrested Galileo and charged him with heresy. He was forced to recant and was placed under house arrest.


Johannes Kepler formulated three laws of planetary motion that proved the relationship between the planets in a sun-centered solar system.

René Descartes (1596-1650)

French mathematician and philosopher.

A transitional figure between the medieval past and modern science.


A rationalist. Promoter of

deductive reasoning, predicting particular results from general principles.

Discourse on Method (1637)

Descartes wished to develop a method that could be used to yield scientific truth.

Argued that abstract reasoning and math were a more reliable path to truth; our senses could deceive us.

Cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”)


Isaac Newton integrated the astronomy of Copernicus and Kepler with the physics of Galileo.

Prinicipia Mathematica 1687

Newton formulated a set of mathematical laws to explain motion and mechanics.

A key feature was the law of universal gravitation.


Contributions made by these scientists made the universe comprehensible for the first time.

Scientific Revolution

The individual became much more important; collective authority was not the source of wisdom…individual intellect was.


After the Revolution, God was viewed by many as either a remote master mechanic, or his existence began to be doubted.

Began long adversarial relationship between science and religion.



The Scientific Revolution laid the foundation for the Enlightenment of the 18th Century.

Scientific Revolution Overview

Education

Transcript of Scientific Revolution Overview