1. Early Modern Epistemology Fall 2012 Dr. David Frost Instructor of Philosophy University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

2. Overview of all (Western) History Homo Sapiens evolve to anatomical modernity 200,000 years ago, and behavioral modernity 50,000 years ago. Discovery of agriculture, domestication of animals and permanent human settlements: 10,000 years ago. Earliest proto-states in Egypt, Indus Valley and between Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia): 6,000 years ago. First Egyptian dynasty: 3,000 B.C.

3. Overview of all (Western) History Egypt Ancient Greece Roman Empire Middle Ages Renaissance Modernity Postmodernity

4. Brief Review of Medieval Period The “Dark Ages” Rome fell Empire moved to the East leaving Europe to decline An ice age began in Europe Plagues spread in Europe

5. Brief Review of Medieval Period Aquinas canonized Aristotle… So to disagree with Aristotle was blasphemy. Knowledge-giving explanations of the day involved… Teleology, purpose, first principles, Non-experimental, pre-scientific, scholastic thinking, Appeals to authority and Bible, which had real force. Philosophy was an orthodoxy; was not an “adventure”.

6. What Makes Renaissance New? Rediscovery of Greek and Roman classic texts After sack of Constantinople in 1453 by Muslims, Byzantine peoples moved west. Luther’s Reformation Nails 95 theses to Church door in 1517 An anti-corruption movement Leads to Thirty-Years War in 1618 War-exhaustion led to pluralist secularism and relativism for the first time

7. What Makes Renaissance New? Printing press, 1447 Rise of middle class Progress in art Rise of Humanism The New Science

8. What Makes Renaissance New? The New Science… Comes with Bacon, Galileo, Descartes and later Newton Degrades experience Telescope, primary and secondary qualities Copernican system overturned geocentric system Arrived at new and different knowledge Parabolic flight versus impetus theory

9. Thank you