Transcript The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

The Scientific
Revolution and
Enlightenment
• "New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed,
without any other reason but because they are not already
common."
• John Locke 1690
Thinking before Enlightenment
• Beliefs in science were
100’s of years old
• Geo Centric Theory
• Earth is center of the
universe
• Spontaneous generation
• Maggots in rotten meat
• Challengers to these
beliefs faced the
Inquisition.
• http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=CSe38dzJYk
Y
The Scientific Revolution
• 1500s to 1700s
• People rely on
Reason and Logic.
• Everything deserves
observation and
scrutiny
• The scientific
method
• Process of Observing,
Experimenting
Key Figures
• Copernicus
• Heliocentric Theory
• Galileo Galillei
• Challenged the Church
• Sentenced to house
arrest for the
remainder of his life.
• Created new powerful
telescope, pendulum
clock.
Key Figures
• Rene Descartes
• Geometry
• Coordinate Plane
• Andreas Vesalius
• Human Anatomy
• Robert Boyle
• Chemistry
• Old belief: All matter was
made of water, earth, air,
and fire.
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Natural Laws
• Laws that govern the
universe (laws of motion
and gravity)
The Movement Spreads
• Scientist created learning
communities (Salons)
• Published papers
• Ideas spread throughout
Europe and to the American
Colonies
• This movement became
known as The
Enlightenment.
• the idea that people were
not stuck with their lot in
life, but could take charge
and improve their existence
by replacing blind faith in
authority with their own
ability to reason.
Enlightenment in Politics
• Thomas Hobbes
• People are naturally greedy
and selfish.
• Believed in Divine Right
• Kings have been given the
right to rule by God.
• Without a strong
government, people would
behave badly and their
“lives would be solitary,
poor, nasty, brutish and
short”.
• You conceded your rights to
the government, in return
for your life.
• The people have no right to
rebel against the
government.
Enlightenment in Politics
• John Locke
• Humans are naturally
good.
• Opposed Divine Right
• All people possess
certain Natural Rights.
• Life, Liberty, and
Property
• If government doesn’t
protect these rights,
the people need to
revolt.
Monarchs
• Prussian King changed
laws to help peasants.
• Catherine the Great of
Russia expanded the
Russian education
system.
• Austrian King allowed
religious tolerance and
reduced the influence
of the Catholic Church
• Seen by many citizens
and peasants as Not
Enough
• Identify 3 scientific discoveries of the past 50 years. Why are
they significant and how have they influenced your lives or
others?
• Due Wednesday in Email