The Scientific Revolution

Characteristics of the Scientific Revolution

It was a slow movement. Full of good/ bad ideas. Only involved a few hundred scientists. The new science was not isolated to a

few brilliant minds. Assessed the validity of knowledge.

Nicholas Copernicus

Wrote “On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres” where he laid the foundation for the heliocentric theory.

Polish priest and astronomer 1473-1543.

Tycho Brahe

Danish astronomer 1546-1601

Compiled a lot of astronomical data which would be foundations for later theories.

Johannes Kepler

Pupil of Brahe German

Astronomer 1571-1630

Ellipses

Galileo

Italian Mathematician 1564-1642

Famous works “Starry Messenger” and “Letters on Sunspots”

A universe subject to mathematical laws

Isaac Newton

English Scientist 1642-1727

“Principia Mathematica”

All objects have a force of attraction between each other (gravity).

Margaret Cavendish

Believed in equality of women

Wrote such works as “The Fascination of Instruments”

Trial of Galileo

Scripture should be read to accommodate the new sciences.

His actions and writings angered the Roman Catholic Church.

Mocked the popes Placed under house arrest

Overturned in 1992

Blaine Pascal

French mathematician and scientist

Associated with the Jansenists

There was a happy medium between reason and faith/ religion.

Witches

Superstition Europeans were

always preoccupied with death, sin, and the devil.

1400-1700: 70-100k “witches” killed.

Belief in magic 80% were women

(widows, midwives, healers & herbalists).