1. Impact of the Scientific Revolution
Mr. Meester
Ap European History
Pages:

2. New Institutions Led to the creation of “institutions of sharing”
Attacked traditional approaches to gaining knowledge in universities
Embraced Bacon’s empiricism
The new ideas and methods began to changes universities
Led to the creation of “institutions of sharing”
Met to exchange information & perform experiments
Membership was diverse including both educated elites and middle class craftsmen
Institutions often focused on practical knowledge
Interaction between the institutions and the government would lead to The Enlightenment

3. Scientific Revolution & Women
Many factors kept most women from participating in the Scientific Revolution
A few isolated women managed to contribute through their husbands and male relatives
Margaret Cavendish was a noblewoman who critiqued both Descartes and Hobbes
Women from the middle class had greater freedom to pursue the new sciences
Wives and daughters made discoveries but credit went to the male relative
They were excluded from being part of mainstream science

4. Galileo & The Catholic Church
The new sciences challenged religion in several ways
The most famous conflict arose between Galileo and the Catholic Church
The Church was in a difficult position balancing scripture and the new science
On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres was censored by the Inquisition
1633 Galileo is put on trial for defending the Copernican system

5. Blaise Pascal
Pascal made one of the best attempts at reconciling religion and the new sciences
Pascal was closely linked to the French Jansenists
Believed in two essential truths in religion
Reason was not enough to explain everything
Argued using reason that it is better to believe God than not

6. Science & Religion in England
Several English scientists tried to explain the relationship between Science & Religion
Francis Bacon argued there were 2 books of divine revelation: The Bible & Nature
Isaac Newton believed, as many did, that by studying nature one better understands God
These ideas gave rise to Physico-Theology
English thinkers began to express the idea that the new science and technology was part of God’s plan

7. Witch-Hunts
Old superstitions about magic and the occult remained common in Europe even with the emergence of the new sciences
One of the most common manifestations was seen in the witch-hunts
Panics over witches were common in the 16th & 17th centuries
The origins of witches were in both rural villages & urban areas
The Christian Church also played an important role in causing the witch-hunts
The overwhelming majority of witches were women
Several factors led to the decline of witch-hunts