The Scientific Revolution

9th Grade World History

What exactly is a Revolution?• A revolution is an event that

demonstrates a change.• Think of it this way….• The Earth Revolves around the

sun.• As it does throughout the year, the

seasons Change. • The Scientific Revolution was a

change in the way of human thinking.

When did this change occur?• Following the Renaissance, from roughly

1550-1700.• During the Renaissance, the philosophy

of Humanism encouraged philosophers and artists to study the physical, natural world around them.

• This study of “natural philosophy” became a focus on sciences such as physics, astronomy and biology.

How was this a scientific revolution?• During the Middle Ages and Renaissance,

philosophers had studied the classical thinkers (Aristotle, Socrates, etc.) and accepted their ideas without questioning them.

• Philosophers and Scientists decided to break away from classical ideas, and use their own observations and experiments to understand the world.

It all starts with astronomy

• The main area that inspired the scientific revolution was the study of astronomy.

• Before the Scientific Revolution, the accepted theory about the universe was the Ptolemaic Universe.

• Ptolemy was an ancient philosopher who theorized that the earth was the center of the universe. (Geocentric)

• The church made this the center of their teachings.

Contradictions from Copernicus• Believed Ptolemy was wrong.• Studied an ancient Greek theory that

the SUN was the center of the universe.• Wrote the book, On the Revolutions of

Heavenly Bodies which explained his Heliocentric THEORY but didn’t list it as fact.

• He even dedicated the book to the Pope.

Questions from Copernicus• So if Copernicus was right that would

mean….• 1. The universe was much larger than

originally believed.• 2. The earth was just another planet.• 3. We had NO idea where heaven is!

(gasp!)• Copernicus’ ideas made everyone stop

and think….maybe they were wrong…..maybe the church was wrong!

Kicking off with Kepler

• Johann Kepler was Brahe’s apprentice.

• Very good at math, he believed the key to understanding the universe was to use mathematics.

• Believed there was a mathematical relationship between everything in space.

Kepler’s 3 laws:

• 1. All planets travel in an elliptical orbit. • 2. A planet gains speed as it gets closer

to the sun.• 3. There is a connection between the

distance a planet is from the sun and the time it takes to orbit the sun (pluto takes longer than earth)

• All of these mathematical conclusions proved Ptolemy wrong.

Getting in trouble with Galileo• Galileo decided to explore ideas about

motion.• Rather than speculating (guessing or

theorizing) about his ideas, he actually experimented with them.

• For example: Galileo would roll balls down pieces of wood to show that an object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by a force. (Law of Inertia)

Inspiring the Inquisition

• Galileo used the telescope to observe several new phenomena in space:

• 1. That the moon is cratered and uneven, not perfect.

• 2. Moons were orbiting Jupiter; This meant that there was more than one center of motion in the universe.

• 3. Venus went through phases just like the moon, which meant it went around the sun.

• All these discoveries contradicted the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic ideas, angering the church.

Fun facts about Galileo

• Author of a book that was banned by the church as heretical.

• Placed on house arrest for his teachings.

• Still considered the most successful scientist of the Revolution.

• Named the moons of Jupiter after the Medici family.

Y.T.T.W.

• Do you feel Galileo should have taken his words back or not?

• How would you have acted in his situation? Is your life more important than your beliefs?

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulder’s of giants.”• Isaac Newton was inspired by the

work of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler and Galileo.

• The printing press allowed Newton access to the ideas of these thinkers and the classics.

• Newton used their many philosophies to create a major work on physics.

Sir Isaac Newton

• English scientist, very advanced in math and physics.

• Believed the universe operated on a set of mathematical principals (facts) that could also prove the existence of God.

• Believed God was rational, therefore humans were also rational (able to make sense of the world).

Principia

• Newton believed that God created the universe, but other factors controlled it, such as gravity.

• In 1687 he wrote Mathematical Principals of Natural Philosophy, applying laws of physics to the universe.

The Religious Reaction

• New scientific ideas were a challenge to the authority of the church.

• They used the Bible to prove their points and ideas.

• Many scientists were considered heretics, and many became atheists because of this.

• Galileo, for example, was put on house arrest for his ideas.

Banning the Books

• In 1616, the Catholic Church created a list or “Index” of banned books that contradicted the ideas of the church.

• Those written by Newton, Copernicus, and Galileo were included in the list.

Botany and Biology

• Many other sciences experienced scientific revolutions.

• Before the S.R, Galen, an ancient Greek physician, was the believed authority on human anatomy.

• Dissection and experimentation by people like Leonardo Da Vinci (to create more lifelike work) and Andrea Vesalius proved much of his work wrong.

• Vesalius’ book, “On the Fabric of Human Anatomy” became the main book on the human body.

Royal Support

• Many kings and queens became patrons of the scientific revolution. Why?

• 1. To lower the authority of the church, which monarchs struggled against.

• 2. To aid in things like exploration and navigation to find new lands.

• Queen Elizabeth of England established a school at Oxford for the study of math and navigation.

Scientific Philosophers

• The scientific revolution didn’t just change knowledge, it changed how people gained their knowledge.

• Rather than just accept ideas and create theories, the S.R. was about testing, experimenting and proving ideas.

Rene Descarte

• Considered to be the first modern philosopher.

• Author of The Discourse on Method, outlining the scientific method.

• Was an excellent at math and believed the universe was based on it, as well as things such as government.

Sense over Senses

• Descarte believed that human senses used in observation can be tricked or deceived.

• Believed that God was good and NOT trying to trick us so therefore the world could be understood through logic.

• Everything was either spiritual or physical in his eyes.

“I think (doubt) therefore I am”

• Cogito ergo sum• This is how Descarte used

reasoning/logic to explain his existence and that of God.

• For example; if he doubts that there is a god, he is acknowledging that god does exist if he can actually doubt him!

Sir Francis Bacon• Different from Descarte• Believed that to gain knowledge you

need empirical evidence (proof). • Believed human reasoning without

proof could be flawed because many different things could affect or taint human knowledge.

• A good scientist would study, record data, analyze it and make observations. Inductive Reasoning This became the scientific method.

The Scientific Method

• Observation• Create a hypothesis or theory• Make a prediction about a test• Experiment to prove your theory.• Science became the new

worldview during the S.R.

Effects of the Scientific Revolution• Knowledge was no longer based on the

past, but was moving forward.• Universities began training in subjects

other than lawyers and priests.• Scientific societies such as the Royal

Society of London were created, adding to the study.

• Medicine and better understanding of the human body were developed.