1. The Scientific Revolution

2. New Understanding of the World
Logical Thought
Scientific Method
New Understanding of the World
The Scientific
Revolution

3. Causes
Medieval Intellectual Life and Medieval Universities: scholasticism
The Italian Renaissance
Renewed emphasis on mathematics
Renaissance system of patronage
Navigational problems of long sea voyages
Better scientific instruments

4. The “Science” of Aristotle
Derived from Aristotle’s “physics” & Ptolemy’s “astronomy”
Geocentric view of the universe
Problems with this model?

6. The Science “Revolution”?
Not even called “science” – it’s “natural philosophy”
New ideas, new inventions
Telescope (Dutch!)
Microscope (Dutch too!)
Efforts to measure longitude among the largest scientific endeavors of the era
Louis XIV established Academie Royale de Sciences, charged in part with advancing navigation; Philip II offered reward; Holland offered a prize; tied to time (accurate knowledge of time)

7. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
Polish, Catholic priest, astronomer
Publishes On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres while on his deathbed (afraid to challenge the church)
Proposes a heliocentric view of the universe which better explains planetary motion
Inaccurate, but it “opens the door”

9. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Arrogant, wealthy Danish noble
Supported geocentric view, but had a sophisticated observatory
Gathered huge amounts of data (saw comets shooting “through the crystalline spheres”)

10. Johannes Kepler ( )
Brahe’s assistant, but supports the heliocentric view
Posits elliptical orbits, non-uniform speeds to explain anomalies
Publishes New Astronomy in 1609; still unclear why objects “orbit”
“I am much occupied with the investigation of the physical causes. My aim in this is to show that the machine of the universe is not similar to a divine animated being, but similar to a clock.”

11. Galileo Galilei ( )
Italian points his Dutch-made telescope at the skies
Medici were his patrons; originally named moons of Jupiter after them
Advocates heliocentric view based on observations
Publishes Starry Messenger & Letters on Sunspots
Argues mathematical laws control the universe

12. Sir Isaac Newton ( )
Addressed issue of how the planets moved: ties it all together
Principia Mathematica reasons that mutual attraction (gravity) governs relationships between objects
Built on empiricism: need to observe before explaining
Argues a universe governed by natural laws

13. Philosophy & the “New Science”
Nature as mechanism: what is “God’s role” in this view?
Focus shifts to mathematical explanations of the world
Shift to knowledge as means of improving lives (& strengthening state)

14. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) “Father” of: Empiricism Inductive Reasoning
Scientific Method
Attacks concept that most truths already discovered
Encourages innovation, research (in contrast to Renaissance thinkers?)
Use knowledge to improve human condition; links science to progress, progress to strong government

15. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Deductive reasoning
Discourse on Method, 1637, focuses on mathematical model, in French
Cogito, ergo sum
Dualism
Primary influence on philosophers, logicians

16. Political Philosophy: Hobbes v. Locke

17. Political Philosophy: Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan (1651) in wake of English Civil War
Describe man in a “state of nature”
“[T]he life of man [in the state of nature is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, & short.”
Argues for absolute power (of whom?)
Why do people object?

18. Political Philosophy: John Locke
Second Treatise of Government (1690)
Describe man in a “state of nature”
Consent of the governed
Natural rights
Social contract w/ government
What if government fails to protect natural rights?
Essay Concerning Human Understanding & the Tabula Rasa

19. Women in the World of Science?
How did men of the time feel about women in the sciences?
Which women did have at least limited opportunities?
Margaret Cavendish
Maria Winkelmann
Maria Sibylla Merian
Emilie du Chatelet
Queen Christina of Sweden

20. Science is
Sexy!