WHBExam Review PRE Scientific Revolution Before 1500 scholars

WHBExam Review

PRE- Scientific Revolution Before 1500, scholars decided what was true or false based on ancient Greek or Roman authors (Aristotle) or what the Bible said. Very few European scholars questioned scientific ideas and instead accepted what had always been taught.

Medieval View Earth was an unmoving object located at the center of the universe Moon, sun, planets moved in perfect circles around earth. Earth-centered view is called GEOCENTRISM and promoted by Aristotle and Ptolemy

Geocentric Model

Why Geocentric Theory? Seemed to make sense based on what people observed. Idea came from most intellectual men in history up to that time Catholic Church supported it

Scientific Revolution Mid-1500’s some scholars began challenging ideas of ancient thinkers. The Scientific Revolution was a new way of thinking about the world based on careful observation and a willingness to question accepted beliefs. First major challenge to accepted beliefs-

A New Model of the Universe Nicolaus Copernicus studied planetary movement for more than 25 years and reasoned that the stars, earth, planets revolved around the sun. This theory- HELIOCENTRIC- was considered heresy by the Church so his book was not published until just before his death.

Heliocentric Model

Johannes Kepler Using data from previous scientists, Kepler concluded that mathematical laws govern planetary motion. He proved that planets moved in elliptical orbits around the sun, rather than circular orbits.

Galileo Galilei Most important contributions: A falling object accelerates at a fixed and predictable rate. Built a telescope to study the sky-1609 Saw that Jupiter had 4 moons Sun had dark spots Moon had rough and uneven surface. .

Galileo vs. Church Galileo’s ideas upset the Church because they disproved what the Church had been teaching. Church worried that their authority would be questioned Church ordered Galileo to stop his work-when he didn’t he was called before the

Continued…. Inquisition (Church court) and threatened with torture if he didn't’t recant his work. He read a signed confession, saying his work was false and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. His books and ideas continued to spread.

Scientific Method Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes helped advance the new approach: 1. Problem or Question 2. Hypothesis 3. Experiment 4. Analyze & Interpret 5. Conclusion 6. Start all over again

The Enlightenment Philosophers admired the work that the scientists had done in gaining new knowledge and understanding the natural world so they decided to use the same techniques to learn about other areas- human behavior, religion, government, economics and education.

Continued…. This is how the Scientific Revolution paved the way for the Enlightenment or Age of Reason. The Enlightenment reached its zenith in the mid-1700’s and started with key ideas of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke

John Locke NATURAL RIGHTS “All people are born free and equal with three natural rights: Life, Liberty, Property Purpose of Governmentprotect those rights. If government fails, citizens have the right to overthrow it

Continued… John Locke believed that people were basically good and could learn from experience and improve themselves He felt that they had the natural ability to govern their own lives AND to look after the welfare of society. His ideas influenced the formation of our founding fathers.

Thomas Hobbes

Hobbes believed: Life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. All humans were naturally selfish and wicked. Without governments (absolute monarchy) there would be “war of every man against every man”

Continued…… Hobbes argued that in order to avoid a horrible life, they had to give up their rights to a strong leader. In exchange, they would get law and order—peace. He called this- a “Social Contract” or an unwritten agreement between ruler and citizen.

Philosophes: French philosophers or “lovers of knowledge” Famous philosophes: Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu,