The Scientific Revolution

AP European History

Science of the Middle Ages

Based on philosophers: Aristotle, Ptolemy, Galen qualitative (applying reason to determine the nature of objects) deductive reasoning Christianity and Scholasticism (12th C.) accepted general definitions/framework of the church and deduced interpretations from these Earth made out of four substances: earth, wind, water, fire

Heavens made out of the quintessence or fifth substance

Instead of gravity it was believed that objects fell toward the Earth to be at one with substance from which they are made

Heavy objects were believed to fall faster than light objects

Church controlled heretical ideas (anti-dissection)

Underlying Forces Breaking the Medieval Worldview

Medieval Worldview Composed of Ptolemaic/ Aristotelian Theories and Church Teachings

Influence of Hermeticism Astrology, Theurgy & Alchemy

Printing Press

Was it a revolution?
Yes!

While, not a rapid overthrow of traditional authority, it was a slow dismantling of the irrational religious orthodoxy of medieval Christian Church.

Changes in Astronomy and Mechanics

Big Idea: The Scientific Revolution brought about radical changes in the fields of astronomy, mechanics, and medicine. Bigger Idea: Europeans began to see the world as knowable, predictable & knowledge could be obtained from empirical observation. Key Development: Geocentric to Heliocentric view of the universe.

Built

on ideas of Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Christian theology Shift from an Earth Centered to Sun-Centered Cosmos intellectual and emotional impact

Lets see if the Medieval Worldview is still with us.

Test:
Where is God?

Ptolemaic/ Geocentric Conception of The Universe

Ptolemaic/ Geocentric Conception of The Universe

Kurt Warner now you know what hes pointing at and why Who knew that the same God that caused the Black Death in the 14th C. would have an active interest in 21st C. recreation?

Geocentric View of Universe

Nicolaus Copernicus and the heliocentric view of the universe

On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (1543) Copernicus conservatism Attacks by Protestants

Luther/followers

among the 1st religious officials to attack new science

P. 486

Tycho Brahe
Mathematical rejection of Ptolemaic/geocentric theory Influence on Kepler

The observatory was completed in 1584, making it the first astronomical observatory created exclusively for accurately measuring the positions of stars and the orbits of the planets.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

Three laws of planetary motion 1. Planets have elliptical orbits (1609) 2. Planets move faster when closer to sun (1619) 3. Planets with larger orbits revolve at a slower average speed (1619) Shatters the Ptolemaic crystalline spherical explanation w/ mathematical proof Remaining questions What are planets made of? How do the planets move?

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Observations with telescope Earthshaking discovery universe made of matter like earth (not perfect/unchanging)

1610: The Starry Messenger Reaction - - p. 489 Inquisition fact vs. mathematical supposition

Condemned by the Catholic Church Heavens no longer a spiritual world! Humans no longer at the center! God no longer in a specific place!

Cardinal: The intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us not how the heavens go, but how to go to heaven.

1632: Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems Written in Italian Dialogue between Simplicio (Aristotle and Ptolemy) and Salviati (Copernicus)

The Churchs perspective? (read 492-493) Condemns Galileo 1633 Inquisition threats of torture Galileo forced to recant House arrest in Florence where he focuses on mechanics

Aristotelian conception of motion

Object

remains at rest unless external force acts upon it If force is constantly exerted, object moves at constant rate; force is removed, object stops Didnt fit with Copernican system

Galileos 2 contributions to study of motion

1

- Uniform force applied to an object causes accelerated speed, not constant speed 2 - Principle of inertia: body in motion continues in uniform motion forever unless deflected by external force Still didnt fit with Copernican system

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) (Cambridge University)

Calculus calculating rates of change Principia (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy)

Three

laws of motion Universal law of gravitation Every object in universe is attracted to every other object by a force (gravity) The heavier the mass of objects, greater the force The greater the distance between objects, lighter the force

Newton: culmination of the work of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo

Elaboration

and mathematical proofs of natural laws of

motion

Three Laws of Motion

1.

Every object continues in a state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless deflected by a force. The change in motion proportional to the force acting upon it. To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

2.

3.

Significance of Newtons discoveries One law to explain all! (Gravity works the same here as anywhere else) Newtonian world-machine! (Mechanical Clock Metaphor) Secrets of the world could be known by humans! (Knowable, predictable universe) Problems could be solved by humans (disease, famine, natural forces, human nature) Less in the thrall of God self reliant

Ideas would later be modified / replaced by Einstein

The Beginnings of a New Way of Thinking

Before the Scientific Revolution
Acceptance of certain authorities
Natural laws beyond human understanding Gods domain Religious/Superstitious

After the Scientific Revolution

Questioning of all previous authorities
Humans could comprehend natural laws Secular/Rational Inductive/Emperical Reasoning Scientific Method

Deductive Reasoning
Source of Truth: Looking backward to established truths

Source of Truth: Looking forwardhuman rationality applied to systematic empirical observation

Pattern Puzzle!
The Question: Discuss how the work of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton resulted in a new understanding of astronomy. DIRECTIONS: Arrange the strips of paper into an organized outline that could be used to answer this essay question.

Ren Descartes (1596-1650) and Rationalism

Famous work: Discourse on Method (1637)

Starting point: doubt everything He would accept only those things his reason said were true Only one fact beyond doubt: his own existence

I think, therefore I am (cogito, ergo sum)

30-Second Pause

What did Descartes mean when he said, I think, therefore I am?

From this, deduced two additional beliefs

Existence

of God Cartesian dualism

Separation of mind and matter thinking substance and extended substance We can use our minds to understand matter Matter now viewed as dead and inert, could be studied objectively and rationally

30-Second Pause

What impact did Cartesian dualism have on the way people thought about the universe?

Founder of modern rationalism

System of thought based on belief that all knowledge comes from human reason and experience

Separation of God from material world? Spinozas reaction?

Descartes Quotes:

nothing is true which I did not evidently know to be such avoid precipitance and prejudice divide each of the difficulties I examined into as many parts as may be required for its adequate solution[and] arrange my thoughts in order, beginning with things the simplest and easiest to know all the things we human beings are competent to know are interconnected in the same manner, and that none are so remote as to be beyond our reach or so hidden that we cannot discover them that is, provided we abstain from accepting as true what is not thus related.

30-Second Pause

How are each of the below examples of irrational thought?

Religious/Superstitious beliefs Belief that the Cubs will one day win the World Series

The Scientific Method

Descartes method

Believed in deductive reasoning to acquire knowledge

Preceding

from self-evident, accepted truths (axioms) to a more complex conclusion

Given: Segment AD bisects segment BC. Segment BC bisects segment AD. Prove: Triangles ABM and DCM are congruent.

Kind

of like a geometric proof

Example: leaves

Francis Bacons method

Famous work: The Grand Instauration Believed in inductive reasoning to acquire knowledge

Preceding

from systematic observations of world to general principles

Empiricism: practice of relying on observation and experiment

 Example:

leaves

Newtons method
theory

observations

Hypothesis / experimentation

30-Second Pause

Discuss the difference between deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.

Science and Religion

Galileos trial

Established a competition between science and religion

Some tried to reconcile science and religion

Benedict de Spinoza (Dutch, 1632-1677)

Believed

in Descartes rationalism, but not his dualism 3 major beliefs

monism (also called pantheism): a doctrine that equates God with the universe and all that is in it criticized humans external view of God (against the Superbowl God

human beings, and their desires & emotions, are part of the natural order, and can therefore be studied rationally

3 nature does not exist strictly for humans use; humans are a part of nature

Blaise Pascal (French, 1623-1662)

Famous

work: Penses (The Thoughts) 4 major beliefs

1 humans are thinkers, but also weaktherefore, we must choose to think well 2 Christianity and reason are compatible 3 Christianity is a good choice for skeptics, a safe bet (Pascals Wager) 4 reason can only take us so far to discover truth; faith must take us the rest of the way The eternal silence of those infinite spaces strikes me with terror.