S2 / 2.2.2 Study: The Scientific Revolution

Francis Bacon

(1561 - 1626) An English philosopher and politician. He was an important scientific thinker and the creator of the theory of empiricism.

Galileo Galilei

(1564 - 1642) The Italian astronomer who defended and expanded on Copernicus's teachings that the sun is the center of the solar system. He was found guilty of violating religious law and forced to deny his findings publicly.

René Descartes

(1596 - 1650) A French philosopher and mathematician. Regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, he also invented the Cartesian coordinate system in mathematics.

Robert Boyle

(1627 - 1691) An Irish chemist who helped push chemistry in a more scientific direction, differentiating it from alchemy.

Isaac Newton

(1642 - 1727) The British mathematician and physicist who developed the theory of gravity, which he published in the book Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. He is considered one of the most influential scientists of all time.

What philosophy did Robert Boyle use in his studies of gas? What aspect of the scientific revolution especially influenced him?

Boyle believed in a "mechanical philosophy," the idea that everything could be explained by mechanical motion. He believed especially in the scientific method, which he used in his experiments.

In what way was Nicolaus Copernicus's theory revolutionary?

Copernicus suggested that the Earth orbited the sun. This was a revolutionary concept because it challenged the accepted idea that the Earth was at the center of the universe.

Why did the Roman Catholic Church feel Galileo's discoveries were heresy?

Galileo believed that the sun was the center of the universe. The church, however, held that the Earth was at the center of the universe because such a location confirmed the Earth's special place in the natural world.

In one or two sentences, write the "big idea" or main point of this study.

The scientific revolution was truly a revolution because it changed the way the world thought about almost everything, including astronomy, physics, mathematics, philosophy, and more. It led to the Industrial Revolution, which completely changed almost everything about the modern world.

How did Isaac Newton's basic laws of motion affect physics and astronomy?

Using mathematics, Newton deduced the three laws of motion. This allowed him to explain natural phenomena such as gravity, the ocean's tides, and the orbits of celestial bodies.

Nicolaus Copernicus

(1473 - 1543) A Polish astronomer who defied the Catholic Church by publicizing his theory that the sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the solar system.

hypothesis

A testable, possible explanation for a scientific problem.

What idea did Francis Bacon promote?

Bacon championed the scientific method, which required experimentation and proof to determine whether hypotheses were correct.

How did the scientific revolution change the way Europeans understood the natural world?

Before the scientific revolution, people relied on the writings of ancient philosophers and religious explanations to understand natural phenomena. The scientific revolution resulted in a new way of thinking based on observation and logic. Francis Bacon advanced the scientific method. Eventually, this made huge changes in how people understood their world.

What factors contributed to Europe being the site of the scientific revolution?

Europeans had been studying the works of Islamic and classical European thinkers since the Renaissance. Europe was also home to free and independent universities that allowed scientists to conduct radical experiments without interference from political or religious authorities.

What was René Descartes's major contribution to the scientific revolution?

He founded modern philosophy based on the idea that reasoning was the basis of all knowledge.

Which scientist do you think was most important during this period?

I think Copernicus was most important because his ideas made people start thinking about whether many accepted beliefs were really true. His ideas led to important work by Galileo and Newton. Without Copernicus, who knows what would have happened to the scientific revolution.

scientific method

The process of developing a hypothesis about the natural world, recording evidence, and drawing rational conclusions from the findings.

Why was the scientific method such an important part of the scientific revolution?

The scientific method forced scientists to test and prove their hypotheses rather than to simply claim something was true because it seemed right. It made scientists reexamine assumptions, and only move forward if the assumptions could be proven. That led to many important discoveries, which in turn led to even more advancements.