The Scien”terrific”! Revolution1543-1687

• c. ~1300 oFr c. ~1300 oFr sciencescience; “knowledge (of ; “knowledge (of something) acquired by study.” (L; something) acquired by study.” (L; scientiascientia))

• Many breakthrough discoveries in science Many breakthrough discoveries in science and philosophy.and philosophy.

• The Europeans’ perception of the world and The Europeans’ perception of the world and their role were changed forever.their role were changed forever.

• Began by only affecting the scientific and Began by only affecting the scientific and intellectual elite (~5%)intellectual elite (~5%)

“Science” before the Scientific Revolution

• Prior- all concepts came from the Bible or ancient scientists.– The Bible -> the main source of info, taken literally– Aristotle ->

• THE authority on ancient science (even thought he was often “in error”

• The “Prime Mover” theory (Church supports)• All objects naturally at rest unless acted upon• Motion is explained in that each of the four elements want “to

go home”; fire and air want to fall up, and earth and water want to fall down.

• Teleological scientist-> everything is made for a specific purpose• Not ALL of his discoveries/explanations were available.• Many were just flat out wrong

Before the SR Continued•Ptolemy ->Ptolemy ->–Earth is at the center of the Earth is at the center of the

universe; universe; GeocentismGeocentism–The sun and planets orbit earth in The sun and planets orbit earth in

crystalline spherescrystalline spheres–EpicycleEpicycles were used to explain s were used to explain

retrograderetrograde motion motion

CAUSES of the SR

• Trend of Questioning Authority• Inadequacies of the standard theories• “Discovery” of other ancient scientists, e.g.

Archimedes, that disagreed with old theories (displacement)

• Interest in “magic” (astrology, alchemy)• Interest in TECHNOLOGY– Printing press, telescope, vacuum pump,

thermometer, barometer, and microscope, and the innovations they led to.

Major Scientists and their Contributions

• Nicolaus Copernicus (Kupernig) (1473-1543)– Challenged the Ptolemaic theory mathematically– Developed heliocentrism (heliocentric theory)– “Large masses have their own attractive forces” • Gravity??

- But he never addressed the issue of chrystalline spheres or stars.

- Published The Revolution of Heavenly Bodies on his deathbed.

More Science Dudes

• Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)– A Dominican Friar– Made the mistake of

supporting Copernican theory

– Even suggested that the sun was a star *gasp*

– Pretty much an all-round heretic

– Burned at the stake

More, Continued• Tycho Brahe– Danish royal astrologer– Observed and mapped over 700 stars in a 20-year

period

• Johannes Kepler– Brahe’s student for 20 years– Living during 30 years of war– Loved the planets and made it his life’s work to

explain the motion of planets– Invented Three Laws of Planetary Motion

The First Real Scientist• Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)– Wanted to see for himselfWanted to see for himself– First to use a telescopeFirst to use a telescope

• Moon craters *gasp*, and Jupiter’s moonsMoon craters *gasp*, and Jupiter’s moons

– Starry MessengeStarry Messenger (1610) r (1610) Got in trouble with the S.I. Got in trouble with the S.I.– Dialog on the Two Great World SystemsDialog on the Two Great World Systems (1632) (1632)– Theory of inertia (no God needed to move things)Theory of inertia (no God needed to move things)– One of the first One of the first mechanistsmechanists

• How?How?, not , not why?why?

THE CHAIRMAN of the BOARD

• Isaac Newton (1642-1727)– Calculus– The visible spectrum– The Principia Matematica (1st pub 1687)– Deals mainly with massive bodies in motion• Three laws of Motion• Law of Universal Gravitation

The New Epistemologies• Epistemology-> Epistemology-> theory of knowledgetheory of knowledge– The The NEWNEW way is way is mechanism- mechanism- ask how, not whyask how, not why– The The OldOld way was teleology- everything made for way was teleology- everything made for

a specific purpose *pppphhht*a specific purpose *pppphhht*• EMPIRICISMEMPIRICISM– Induction- (Francis Bacon) going from the Induction- (Francis Bacon) going from the

particular to the general. iow, particular to the general. iow, ObservationObservation• RATIONALISMRATIONALISM– Deduction- (Descartes) You can’t trust Deduction- (Descartes) You can’t trust

observation because your senses can lie. We observation because your senses can lie. We must must think.think.

More

• Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes– Radical nominalistRadical nominalist– There are NO abstract ideas. (ergo atheist)There are NO abstract ideas. (ergo atheist)– ““Pleasure-Pain Philosophy”Pleasure-Pain Philosophy”– State of Nature, No AuthorityState of Nature, No Authority• “…“…life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…”life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…”• Inevitable war of all against allInevitable war of all against all

– LeviathanLeviathan (1651) ABSOLUTE MONARCHY (1651) ABSOLUTE MONARCHY• not based on divine right but on a social contractnot based on divine right but on a social contract

John Locke

• Empiricist– Tabula Rasa– Since all beliefs come from experience, all are open to

criticism– Great supporter of equality, tolerance and education– Natural Rights– The only function of government is to protect NR– An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690)– Two Treatises on Government (1689)

David Hume 1711-1776

• Scottish Historian, economist and essayist.• Treatise on Human Nature 1739• The “Dead End” of Empiricism• There cannot be any absolute knowledge if

everything is based on the senses.• People can know things through common

sense, but not philosophy.

EFFECTS of the SR• Created an era of overall optimism• Ushers in the Age of Reason in the 18th Century• Even the ancients have been surpassed in learning• Human understanding of the universe could be reduced

to mathematical Laws• The universe could thus be understood by humans• Humans could control their own destiny• Natural Laws could be applied to other aspects of

human endeavor- economics, politics, ethics, history, society

• Science is institutionalized – scientific societies sprang up all over Europe