The Scientific Revolution

A Product of the Renaissance

The Traditional World

• For years people had followed the teachings of the ancient Greeks. Even the Catholic Church adhered to their observations of man and space.

• Ptolemy, a ancient Greek philosopher, had theorized that the Earth was the center of the universe. The Church agreed.

Humanism steps up

• The Renaissance inspired free thinking• Scientists would use the concept of Humanism

to question long held beliefs about nature• The Printing Press would allow new scientists

to spread their ideas to others• The spread of Protestantism began to loosen

the power of the Catholic Church

Astronomy

• Nicholas Copernicus

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Copernicus

• He finds faults with Ptolemy’s theories.• Copernicus believes that the Sun is the center

of the Universe and the earth is one of many planets that revolves around the sun.

• He keeps his ideas secret.• He only publishes his theories at the end of his

life.• He did not wish to be accused of Heresy.

Galileo Galilei Linceo

• He discovers pendulums• He discovers that gravity pulls on all things

equally. He does this by dropping different weights to show that they hit the ground at the same time.

• Built the first telescope• Discovered that the world spins on an axis• Proved Copernicus was right. The sun is the

center of the Universe.

The Greeks versus Galileo

Ptolemy and Aristotle• Earth is the center of the

Universe• Heavier objects fall faster

than light ones• The moon is a smooth,

mirror –like object that reflects light

• The Milky Way is a mass of spiritual power

Galileo• The Sun is the center

• All objects fall at the same speed

• The moon’s surface is rough and cratered

• The Milky Way is a mass of stars

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Johannes Kepler

• German Mathmematician• Observed that the Sun was indeed the center

of the Universe.• Opposed Copernicus’ idea that planets

revolved around the sun in perfect circular orbits.

• He proposed elliptical orbits.

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Sir Isaac Newton

• Wrote “The Principia.”• Universal Law of Gravity• He invented Calculus• Discovered prisms. He was able to use these

to break light into its components and discover why objects appear to be different colors

New Ideas challenge old ones

Galen – Greek Philosopher• Galen dissected animals to

theorize about the make up and functions of the Human body

• The Liver circulates blood

New Scientists• William Harvey proves that

the Heart Circulates Blood in a complete circuit

• Andreas Vesalius dissected human cadavers and diagramed the real Human anatomy.

Sir Francis Bacon

• Invents the Scientific Method- This idea turns science into a legitimate study of nature.

• Observe----Hypothesis----Test----Refine Hypothesis----Draw conclusion

The Other Great Scientists

• Robert Boyle= discovers properties of Gasses• Antoine Lavoisier= discovers and labels

chemical elements=periodic table• Maria Winkelmann= discovered comets• Margaret Cavendish=Man cannot stop or

control nature• Rene Descartes= rationalism—reason is the

source of knowledge “I think Therefore I am.”

Others

• John Locke= Natural Rights of Man—Every man has the right to Life Liberty and Property

• Voltaire= challenged Christianity. He proposed Deism---The Universe is like a clock. God made it, wound it, and let it work alone without his intervention.

Government

• Baron de Montesquieu= Used natural law to find the perfect form of government for man

• His findings supported Separation of Powers and a system of branches of government with checks and balances against abuses in power.

The Encyclopedia is Born

• Denis Diderot classifies the things of our world into a scientific publication.

• His articles attacked superstition and old legends. He sought for truth and scientific explanations of the world.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

• Philosopher= Education should foster, not restrict, a child’s natural instincts

• He also stated that people want to be governed and that they choose governments that best suit their lives. Members of society agree to be governed= Social Contract

Religion

• John Wesley = Believed in Methodism.• Methodism teaches people to have

meaningful relationships with God.• His teachings appealed to the lower classes.• His teachings split followers away from the

Church of England created by Henry VIII.