1. Enlightenment & Scientific Revolution

2. The Old Ways
Before the 1500, European scholars referring to ancient Greek/Roman authors and the Bible
Aristotle
Whatever Aristotle said about the world was true unless the Bible said otherwise
Few questioned the scientific ideas of the ancient thinkers or the church.

3. The Old Ways Biology: Astronomy:
Greek doctors learned about the human body by dissecting pigs and other animals
Astronomy:
Geocentric theory: earth-centered view of the universe
An idea that came from Aristotle
Ptolemy expanded on the theory – Ptolemaic System

4. Doubts & Criticism of the Old Ways
During the Renaissance:
European began to translate many works by Muslim scholars
Found that the ancient scholars often did not agree
Began reading works by Muslim scientist and scholars
During the Dark Ages:
Golden Age of Islam
Great increase in commerce, industry, intra-cultural synergies, sciences, art, medicine and architecture

5. Doubts & Criticism of the Old Ways
Age of Exploration:
European explorer traveled to Africa, Asia, and the Americas
Discovered peoples and animals previously unknown
Gold and riches brought back from the New World also fueled a great deal of scientific research
The invention of the printing press during this period helped spread challenging ideas

6. Doubts & Criticism of the Old Ways
Francis Bacon
Criticized knowledge from Dark Ages
relied on Aristotle and other ancient thinkers too much
Rene Descartes
Believed that everything should be doubted until proven true
because it

7. The Scientific Revolution

8. The Scientific Method Identify problem Form hypothesis
Perform experiment
Record result
Analyze results, form conclusion
Francis Bacon: He was a scientist, so he believed proof should be based on scientific experiments.
Rene Descarte (day-KAHRT): He was a mathematician, so he believed proof should be based on math and logic.

9. Develop ment in Astronomy, Physics, & Math
Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus
Began to study an old Greek idea, called the Heliocentric Theory
Created the first model of solar system
Theory had problems
Johannes Kepler
Elaborated upon and expanded Copernicus’ Theory
Fixed Copernicus’ problem: Proved planets orbited in oval patterns (ellipse)
Copernicus
- Theory had problems: Thought planets orbit in circle around the sun
- fearing ridicule and persecution, he did not published his findings until he was dying.

10. Development in Astronomy, Physics, & Math
Galileo Galilei
Built the first telescope
Supported Heliocentric Theory
Discovered: craters on moon, Saturn, Milky Way is made up of stars

11. Development in Astronomy, Physics, & Math
Sir Isaac Newton
Theory of Gravity
Keeps planets in orbit
Causes objects to fall down instead of up
Removed last doubts of the Heliocentric Model
Developed calculus

12. Development in Biology and Chemistry
Andreas Vesalius
Edward Jenner
First to diagram the human body by dissected bodies of executed criminals
Created the world’s first vaccination for smallpox

13. Development in Chemistry
Robert Boyle
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier
Created the Law of Conservation of Mass
Introduced the metric system
Invented the first periodic table
Father of modern chemistry
Described atoms

14. Development in Biology and Chemistry
William Harvey
Andreas Vesalius
Continued Vesalius’ work
Was able to explain how the heart works
First to diagram the human body by dissected bodies of executed criminals
Antony
van Leeuwenhoek
Edward Jenner
Created the world’s first vaccination for smallpox
Invented the microscope
First described bacteria

15. Reason!! Setting the Stage
People began to challenge the divine right of monarchs, union of the church and state and unequal social classes. They held the beliefs up to the light of reason and found them unreasonable. This help to eventually inspire the American and French revolution and other revolutionary movements in the 1800s – the Haitian, and many Latin American revolution.
The influence of the Scientific Revolution soon spread beyond the world of science.
Philosophers admire Newton because he had used reason to explain the laws governing nature. People began to look for laws governing human behavior as well.

16. ¡Viva la Revolución! “Enlightenment” People began to challenge:
the divine right of monarchs
union of the church and state
unequal social classes
Inspires the American and French revolutions and other revolutionary movements in the 1800s
¡Viva la Revolución!
The French Revolution
The Haitian Revolution

17. Resources
Timeline of the Scientific Revolution ml
Timeline of Islam in the Middle
Timeline of the Industrial Revolution
Major figures in the Scientific Revolution GUIDE/0064_majorFiguresSciRev.html
BBC documentary: Science & Islam
Journal article, “Arab science in the golden age”