Lawrence M. Principe’s book The Scientific Revolution: A Very Short Introduction is exactly as the title of the books states, a short introduction to the Scientific Revolution. In the beginning of the book Principe touches on an interesting event called the translation movement. The translation movement of the twelfth century changed the European world. Many important works were translated from Arabic to Latin, allowing scholars to study the works of Aristotle and many more (Principe 7). The knowledge European people gained from these translations went on to further their knowledge and allowed them to experiment with new concepts. This movement truly changed the world at this time for the better. The world view of science during the Scientific Revolution was a mix of competing systems and concepts which created much excitement in the world at that time (Principe 4). In order for the Scientists of the Scientific Revolution to create their concepts the Translation Movement had to happen. The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century, also known as the Italian Renaissance, revived the intellectual appetite of Europe. As the Christian side of Europe began to separate from Islam, it came across a lot of what the Arabic scholars had learned over the years. They wasted no time in acquiring and translating this knowledge (Principe 6). Many European scholars embarked …show more content…
The twelfth century translators that went through Spain, Sicily and many other places opened up opportunities for science and math scholars of the time. Without those translators, many major works including Ptolemy’s Almagest, Euclid’s Elements of Geometry, and Avicenna’s The Canon of Medicine would not have been translated and the knowledge of those works would not have been shared for many years. The translation movement is truly one of the main causes that allowed the Scientific Revolution to
Scientific discoveries were made and contributed to the growth of the people in Europe and America. The Enlightenment was a growth period in Europe and America, as people were told to rely on their own intellect instead of always looking to God for answers. Unfortunately, because of their existing class structure, religious positions, and authoritative rule, these new ideas in Europe could only be debated.
For example, Vesalius’s book De Humani Corporis Fabrica was written and published in 1543, therefore the primary source will include relevant and appropriate information form the time period. On the other hand, The History of Science from the Ancient Greeks to the Scientific Revolution by Ray Spangenburg and Diane K. Moser was published in 1993 therefore, it cannot have all the correct details from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The text can be biased because of the personal views of the author, and the time in which it was written could be influential because more accurate information can be discovered after the text is published. For instance, after William Harvey identified the parts and functions of the circulatory system, doctors and scientists developed new ideals based off of Harvey’s theories. Articles tend to be unreliable because journalists often give their impressions of the situation to please readers.
Europe’s time periods worked together like a domino effect. Time periods like the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment all were an extension of each other. The Scientific revolution used reason and logic to explain certain planetary motion and much else and philosophers from the enlightenment wanted to incorporate these same tactics. Philosophers agreed on each other’s thinking like natural rights and consent if the governed, however some did not have the same thought. They disagreed on topic like women rights and the type of government the people should have.
The Scientific Revolution occurred roughly between 1550 and 1700. Some people also refer to the time period to be between the lives of Nicholas Copernicus and Issac Newton, to state who the revolution started with and who it ended with (Hatch). It doesn't mean there aren't changes to our scientific processes today, this was just a time period in our history that has recorded information of large changes happening often. The changes were very large and many people were against the views of the men who made the changes/discoveries. Since people put their religion first, the sudden views that made God nonexistent were immediately ignored by citizens and courts ordered many scientists to stay in their homes at all times.
In Steven Shapin’s book, The Scientific Revolution, he described the massive scientific changes that occurred from the late 16th to the early 18th centuries. Shapin utilizes the scientists and their findings to demonstrate the changes that affected Western civilization. He describes his theory of the Scientific Revolution as he proves that the world has always had scientific advances. Steven Shapin states his thesis which influenced the modern world, that the Scientific Revolution did not happen during a single time period through the use of the three essential questions: What was known, How was it known, and What was the Knowledge for.
During the seventeenth century, many of Europe’s diverse and numerous countries were going through countless political, economic, and cultural transformations. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment were two of the greatest, most important changes of the early modern era which greatly altered the course of history in most of Europe. People were starting to question and challenge widely accepted beliefs and applying approaches to knowledge rooted in human reason to the physical universe and human affairs. The study of history often focuses on these events and its effects on Europe, excluding or ignoring its effects on places outside of Europe. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment both sparked interests in science in China and
Math and science started to become a big part of Europe. Enlightenment encouraged people to pursue their science ideas. Europe adopted the idea of
The Renaissance was a period in time where everything started to change after the middle ages. During this historical period humans stared evolving by becoming smarter and inventing useful recourses that have changed the world. The renaissance was a life changing period which brought more joy to the world after conquering the dark ages. The Renaissance changed man’s view on the world by using Art, Science and Literature to make humans brighter and because of the rapid information they were gaining. Art during the Renaissance grew rapidly because of Leonardo Da Vici, and Michelangelo who changed the way people painted and drew by creating strategies which made art more interesting.
The scientific revolution is important because it brings to light two fundamental ideas “observation and evidence”, this forced man to compare the physical traits of human forms, this brought about the differentiation between blacks and whites. According to West philosophy in collaboration with science helped bring theory to reality. Philosophers Bacon and Descartes believed that philosophy brought a new standard of knowledge and that observation and evidence were at the center of the scientific method (West pg. 52). The classical revival of the Greco ideas of beauty that was used to measure what is considered beauty. In J.J Winckelmann’s “History of Ancient Art”.
When the renaissance emerged from the middle ages, it brought new ideas of thought to the surface. Individuals like Leonardo Da Vinci proposed that to achieve a fuller understanding of God and the universe one must understand the natural laws and mathematics that govern it. During the 16th and 17th century in Europe, religion and politics affected the Scientific Revolution because there was no separation of the two in science, this is why the Church restricted scientific progress and politics pushed for scientific improvements for personal gain. Up until this point, religious scripture was undisputed.
The Scientific Revolution showed that a rise in observations and conclusions became an acceptable source of knowledge and truth, where it had been less so in earlier
The Scientific Revolution “refers to historical changes in thought & belief, to changes in social & institutional organization, that unfolded in Europe between roughly 1550-1700” (Hatch). This revolution was a time to replace
“God, who has given the world to men in common, has also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience” (Locke, 35). The Scientific Revolution concentrated on understanding the physical world through astronomical and mathematical calculations, or testable knowledge. The Enlightenment focused more on “Spreading of faith in reason and in universal rights and laws” (Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 535). While the Scientific Revolution preceded the Enlightenment, both time periods sought to limit and challenge the power of the Church, through the spread of science, reason and intellect, and political philosophies. The Scientific Revolution began with Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1542) and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) wanting to understand the movement of the planets beyond what they authorities had told them.
The Renaissance is commonly known as a period of rebirth. New ways of thinking and acting were rapidly evolving. It was a time of great challenges and discoveries for the individual. People could share ideas, objects, and skills in so many ways that changed the whole outlook of humanity. For a while, the church told the people what they wanted them to believe.
The rise of scientific inquiry opened new vistas before human mind. ( Bacon’s formulation and statement of the new scientific method. ) All these lead to a new spirit of inquiry into the realities of nature. Man started to believe more in himself. He thought that he would conquer the entire world with his supreme gift of rationality.