The Scientific Revolution
Blinded by Science
During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church
had control over the political and social aspects
of the world
 Few if any were concerned with big picture
concepts
 The serfs and peasants were worried about just
surviving
 The nobility was concerned about events in their
small piece of the world
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Blinded by Science
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What changed that lead people to become involved in
science
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The Renaissance and later the Protestant Reformation
sparked interest in questioning the world and authority
The growth of universities and education lead to the natural
(Socratic) ideal of questioning ideas
The revival of Greek and Roman writings (Aristotle, Galen,
Socrates) and the idea of humanism lead to the idea of
natural laws.
Blinded by Science
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Copernicus
Prior to Copernicus it was believed that the Earth
was the center of the Universe
 In 1543 Copernicus wrote in his book The Revolution
of Heavenly Bodies that the earth rotated around the
sun and that the earth was actually a sphere and
rotated on an axis

 Many
scholars had already accepted that the earth was a
sphere but it was believed that the earth was the center of
the universe
Blinded by Science

Copernicus used math to
determine that the
geocentric theory was
wrong

Even so Copernicus did
not wish to publish his
theory for fear of the
Catholic Church
Blinded by Science
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Galileo
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In 1632 Galileo backed
up Copernicus and his
theories.
Galileo wrote his works in
Italian and with the new
printing press the
information was spread to
the common man
Blinded by Science

Galileo wanted to disprove Ptolemy and his
geocentric theory
Galileo showed that the rotation of the earth on its
axis produced the rotation of the heavens
 Furthermore the changes of the stars and their
position in the sky coupled with the position of the
sun proved that the earth rotated around the sun

Blinded by Science
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The Catholic Church was upset
with Galileo because they used the
accepted model of geocentric
Galileo was called to Rome for an
Inquisition for teaching and writing
doctrine contrary to the Holy
Scripture
Galileo was forced to recant his
work, his book was placed on the
Forbidden Book Index were it
remained until 1822 and placed
under house arrest for the rest of
his life
Blinded by Science

Reason
Scholasticism was based on the Aristotelianism idea
of using logic and reason to determine the truth
 However reason was not good enough-Ones’ ideas
and thoughts needed to be proved
 Out of this was born the scientific method

 Document,
demonstrate, experiment, and prove using
mathematical precision
The Sky is Falling[
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Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)
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Built and observatory and
recorded his observations
Johannes Kepler (15711630)
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Developed the law of
planetary motion based
on math and observations
“I smell Bacon”
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Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
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Worked on inductive logic
Believed that scientist should
amass data and make
observations and evaluations
through experimentation
Bacon stated that man should
study science not for the sake
of studying science but to
improve the human condition
Words of Wisdom from Bacon
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Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle;
natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to
contend.
If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a
citizen of the world.
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he
will content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not;
a sense of humor to console him for what he is.
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be
present.
Knowledge is power.
Apples, get your apples here!

Isaac Newton

Newton was the scientist
that understood science in
its totality and was able to
take the discoveries of the
day and tie them together
Apples, get your apples here!

Newton would be famous for a number of
discoveries
Laws of motion, laws of thermodynamics, the
concept of gravity, the math of calculus and
Newtonian physics
 His book Principia (1687) lead to an intellectual
movement in Europe
 It would be until Einstein and his theory of relativity
in the 20th century would Newton’s ideas be
challenged or altered.
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Inventions
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Telescope
Microscope
Pendulum clock
Thermometer
Barometer
New Discoveries
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States of matter
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Light
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Liquid, gas and solid
Made of particles or waves
All living creatures were are
made up of cells
The circulation of blood and
the idea of small blood
vessels known as capillaries
that carried blood to the cells
What the Scientific Rev. Meant
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These new ideas would eventually lead to the Industrial Revolution
It caused a division in the world and among scientist
 While some scientist tried to maintain their religious beliefs while
they studied science many more began to reject the Christian
church
 Some became atheists (Don’t believe in God)
 Others became Deists (God existed but played only a limited
role in the lives of humans)
The Protestant Reformation challenged the Pope on the theological
ideas while the Scientific Revolution challenged the Pope on his
authority of science and math. The religious implications of the
Scientific Rev. where huge.