The Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment

Beginning of Modern Science Before 1500 most scholars decided what was true or false by referring to the Bible. Ptolemy propagated this type of thinking with his geocentric theory, or the theory that the Earth is the center of the universe. Beginning in the mid-1500’s people began to challenge the old ways and the Scientific Revolution began.

A New Model of the Universe In the early 1500’s a man named Nicolaus Copernicus challenged the geocentric theory. Copernicus spent 25 years studying and tracking planetary movements. Copernicus realized that the planets seemed to revolve around the Sun, not the Earth. This new theory was called the Heliocentric or sun centered theory.

Galileo Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist who became very interested in astronomy. In 1609 he built his own telescope and began making observations. Galileo discovered many things, such as Jupiter's moons and sun spots. The Church disagreed with Galileo and made him stand trial. He was forced to live under house arrest until his death in 1642.

Isaac Newton Isaac Newton was a famous physicist who made major discovers in the physical sciences. Newton came up with the theory of motion and the law of gravity. His famous theory was published in The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy in 1687

The Enlightenment As the scientific revolution making huge strides in our understanding of the universe, people sought new insight into things like government, religion and economics. This new intellectual movement was called The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment period stressed reason, thought, and the power of individuals to solve problems.

New Ideas of Governing In the 1600s, two English philosophers came up with new views of how a government should be run. Thomas Hobbes: Believed that people needed one strong ruler who could keep order. People should willingly give over their freedoms for an ordered society. John Locke: Believed people learned from experience and could improve themselves Proposed people should rule themselves and hade the three essential rights: Life, Liberty and Property.

The Philosophes and Reason Philosophes is the French word for philosophers. The philosophes were based in Paris and believed that reason could be applied to all aspects of life. The most influential of the philosophes was a man named Voltaire. Voltaire liked to criticize the French Monarchy and ended up in jail several times. Famous quote: “I do not agree with a word you say but will defend to the death your right to say it”.

The Baron de Montesquieu The Baron de Montesquieu was an influential French writer who studied political liberty. His famous book, On the Spirit of Laws proposes the separation of powers that would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government. This book was very influential to the early American settlers who were exploring new ways of governance.

Jean Jacques Rousseau Rousseau was a controversial writer at the time who didn’t always agree with other thinkers. Rousseau believed that the only good government was on that was freely formed by the people. Rousseau inspired many leaders of the French Revolution who overthrew the French monarchy in 1789.

Mary Wollstonecraft Even though many philosophers during the Enlightenment were coming up with great new ideas, many of them still regarded women as secondary citizens. Mary Wollstonecraft took up the fight for women's rights in her essay called A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Her essay argued that women should get the same educations as men and urged women to get involved in medicine and politics.

Legacy of the Enlightenment Over the span of a few decades, Enlightenment writers challenged long-held ideas about society. People began to believe in progress and strove for greater social equality. People also began to have a more secular, or non-religious outlook. People begin to question their religions. The rise of individualism also encouraged people to make decisions for themselves instead of letting the government or church make decisions for them.

DOL Pick three of the innovations of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment below. Explain how each of those innovations relate to the modern world. The Telescope Law of Gravity Heliocentric Theory Scientific Method Barometer Thermometer Microscope Function of the Human Heart