The Scientific Revolution

1. The Scientific Revolution

2. Scientific Revolution (1650-1720) These years saw the biggest advances in science since the Greeks.

3. Why so long without advances? There is a long gap between ancient scientists such as Aristotle, Galen, and Ptolemy and the Scientific Revolution (nearly 2,000 years). The Catholic Church • The Classic View • Not the only culprit

4. The Bible and Science • the world also is established, that it cannot be moved” (Psalms 93:1) • "Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon (Joshua 10:12). If the Sun had already been standing still, Joshua  should have ordered the cessation of the Earth's diurnal motion in order to get more time for slaughtering Amorites

5. Other Explanations: • Ancient Science was very advanced. • Printing Press • allowed scientists to communicate • Limited Mathematics • calculus was invented later • Limited technology • no telescopes, microscopes • Natural Science not emphasized in medieval universities • Church Controlled

6. Factors Leading to the Scientific Revolution • Rise of universities • Contact with non-Western societies • The Renaissance • The Reformation • Exploration

7. Center of the Universe?

8. Pre-Scientific Revolution What was the general world-view before the Scientific Revolution? -God is sovereign -accept the unseen by faith alone - Theology was based on Aristotle and Ptolemy

9. Copernicus (1473-1543, Poland) Heliocentric Theory: that the sun is the center of the solar system Each heavenly body inhabited a sphere encapsulating the sun Simplified the Ptolemaic theory: epicycles still required, but smaller Increased mathematical elegance in accounting for observations justified the theory 1543: On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres

10. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630, Germany) Used Brahe’s observational data to support heliocentric theory, but with elliptical orbits 1609: The New Astronomy No answer to problem of why planets orbited elliptically, or why they didn’t hurtle off into space

11. Galileo (1564-1642, Italy) First use of the telescope to study astronomy 1613: Starry Messenger argued for a Copernican interpretation (heliocentric) Fitted close astronomical observation with mathematics; believed in rational, mathematical explanation of physical universe

12. Empiricism Galileo improves telescope, observes Venus

14. Science vs. the Church? • The Church condemned heliocentric conceptions of the universe • Roman Inquisition • Galileo’s Trial • Galileo recants, put under house arrest • Tension between the Church and Science?

15. Science vs. Religion? Sir Francis Bacon • 1561-1626 • England “A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion."

16. Sir Isaac Newton • 1643-1727 • 1687: published Principia Mathematica: movement through mutual attraction, or gravity • Universal Gravitation • Dependent on heliocentric theory • Laws of Motion • Beginnings of Calculus • Emphasized the importance of empirical data and mathematical relationships

17. Rene Descartes • French Philosopher and Mathematician • Reason, not tradition, is the source of all knowledge • Cartesian Plane • Cartesian Dualism • Deductive reasoning • “Cogito ergo sum.” “I think, therefore I am.”

18. Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning Aristotle (Ancient Greek Philosopher) DEDUCTIVE REASONING Start with a premise Valid until disproven Sir Francis Bacon INDUCTIVE REASONING Start with observations Must be proven in order to be valid

19. The Scientific Method Descartes and Bacon Based on logic and reason rather than faith – conclusions had to be based on observation (empiricism) and experimentation

20. Ancient Medicine: Galen (131–201 CE) • Greek physician • On the Elements According to Hippocrates • “Bodily humours” • Two types of blood • On the Use of the Parts of the Body

21. Medieval Medicine: The Catholic Church • Provided for care of the poor and the sick • Minor clerics took on physician-like roles • Eventually, university-trained physicians displaced clerical physicians Clerics treat a royal patient with leeches

22. The Human Body • Andreas Vesalius • Belgium (1514-1564) • Experiments on Cadavers • Corrected many of Galen’s errors

23. William Harvey (1578–1657) • English physician • On the Movement of the Heart and Blood in Animals • Described the functioning of the heart and circulatory system • Disproved Galen’s theories

24. Royal Academies The Scientific Revolution was aided by the development of Royal Academies in the seventeenth century. Established by absolute monarchs for Scientific Investigation Why? Better Science = Better War-making

25. Royal Academies Royal Academies published journals so that scientists could communicate. Others could continue their experiments. (e.g., Copernicus  Galileo)

26. Witch Hunts The Continuing Influence of Superstition The Burning of Three Witches Switzerland, 16th c. 80% Women 1400-1700 70,000 and 100,000 “witches” burned in Europe

27. The Significance of the Scientific Revolution • Abandonment of ancient and medieval systems • Development of the scientific method • The Enlightenment