The Scientific Revolution and

The Enlightenment

Old IdeasThe Church was the

highest authority and taught scientific knowledge based on the Bible

Earth was center of the universe

Old ideas from medieval times were followed and anything different was challenged!

GOALS of the Scientific Revolution

Changes in ideas and thoughts

New way of learning about the natural world

No more depending on authority…use experiments and prove it yourself

ABOVE ALL – think in a LOGICAL, orderly way

The Scientific Revolution

Started in the mid-1500s, and lasted until the late 1600’s.

Discoveries were made in the following areas: AstronomyScientific MethodAnatomyChemistryPhysics

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish scholar, proposed a heliocentric model of the universe…HUH?

He said the sun was the center of the universe

Earth was round

Galileo

Created the telescope to prove Copernicus was right

People attacked him because his ideas contradicted the church and he questioned all old ideas

He had to publicly denounce his ideas or die!

Excommunicated from the church and lived on house arrest

Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes

This revolution brought about new thinkers, ideas, and a return to Greek and Roman ideas

Created investigations including the scientific method to prove how truth is determined… the ideas used in science and experiments

Improvements in Medicine and Chemistry

Study of human body and anatomy improved

New ointments for infection, surgical techniques and instruments, and artificiallimbs

Others studied the circulation of the blood and the heart

The microscope was invented and helped with new discoveries

There were many experiments with chemicals

Sir Isaac Newton

Proved why the planets moved

He used math to prove his ideas of gravity

The universe was orderly and logical

The Scientific Revolution

Recap- The Scientific Revolution was a period of changing ideas about science and the scientific thinking process. Think logically and experiment to prove it!

The Enlightenment

A time period (1600s-1700s) when European philosophers developed new ways of thinking.

Insisted REASON REASON could solve could solve every social, every social, political, and political, and economic economic problem.problem.

New beliefs…how will life change?

Ask difficult questions and search for the truth about how nature and human societies work

Reform society by using reason

Give all people freedoms/rights they deserve

Took place all over Europe, centered in Paris

Thomas Hobbes

Englishman who published book about government.

People are born greedy and selfish and need a powerful government to make them behave well.

He taught government was a social contract. People gave up some freedom to gain an organized society.

John Locke

Englishman who published book about governments

People are reasonable and will act orderly

People have natural rights Life Liberty, and Property

A ruler’s job is to protect the rights of citizens

The best government is one with limited power.

If a government doesn’t do it’s job, the people have a duty to overthrow it.

Baron de Montesquieu

Frenchman who studied ancient Rome and other governments

Published a book in 1748 that said people in a needed to elect leaders who would serve the good of the community

Admired English government which has a Parliament to make laws, king to enforce laws, and courts to interpret laws. This is called separation of powers or checks and balances.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

French thinker who disagreed with Hobbes and Locke

He believed people are born good and civilizations make them bad.

Peasants are as good as kings and nobles and no one deserves special privileges. All humans are equal.

Voltaire

French writer, philosopher, and historian

Wrote poetry and plays criticizing the wealth and privileges of the kings and nobility

He was jailed twice but never gave up

Defended a person’s right to think and to say anything…”I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Supported freedom of religion, speech, press for everyone and that governments had to respect these rights

The Enlightenment

• Recap- A long period of changing philosophical thought that brought about increased human rights and freedoms that impacted society, government, and laws to this day.