The Scientific Revolution

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The Scientific Revolution

• Science from Copernicus to Newton

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Origins of the New Science

• Basis of the Scientific Revolution
• 1.  Conflicting classical sources (Aristotle,
  Ptolemy, Galen)
• 2.  Examination / focus of Renaissance artists on
  nature
• 3.  Development of technical skills
• 4.  Use of mathematics to understand nature

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Forces influencing science

• 1.  Aristotelian Philosophy  provided a starting
  point
• Matter made of four elements (earth, wind, water
  and fire)
• 2.  Neo-Platonism  revival of Platonic
  philosophy
• emphasis on mathematics
• 3.  Mystical / alchemy  metaphysical (spiritual
  / moral) explanation of the world
• Paracelsus  doctor / alchemist who believed that
  disease could be diagnosed and treated with
  ingested medicine
• 4.  Natural Philosophy  attempt to explain the
  natural world

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Characteristics of the Scientific Revolution

• Europeans began to challenge classical thought
• Materialistic  all matter made up of the same
  material subject to the same laws
• Mathematical  use calculation to replace common
  sense
• measurable, repeatable phenomena
• People began to understand the mathematical
  nature of the universe
• Science boils down to the mathematical
  relationship
• Development of scientific institutions began
  Labs, universities, journals, language, careers

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Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

• Polish monk, mathematican and astronomer.
• Presented first serious challenge to Ptolemys
  geocentric universe.
• In On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres he
  proposed heliocentric theory
• Avoided persecution through death

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Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)

• Built Europes first modern astronomical
  laboratory
• Discovered a supernova and comet.
• Believed all other planets revolved around the
  sun while the earth remained stationary.

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Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

• Supported Heliocentric and states that
  revolutions are elliptical (German)
• Developed a mathematical formula as proof
• Developed three laws of planetary motion

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Laws of Planetary Motion

• 1. All planets revolve around he sun in
  elliptical orbits.
• 2. The velocity of the planet varies according
  to its distance from the sun (closer faster,
  further slower)
• 3. set out mathematical formula to explain the
  physical relationship among the moving planets
  and the sun.

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Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

• Asserted that planets are made of roughly same
  material as the Earth
• Wrote The Starry Messenger (1610)
• A Dialog Between the Two Great Systems of the
  World (1632)
• Challenged biblical view of the heavens

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Galileo and the Church

• In 1632, Brought before the Roman Inquisition for
  teaching Copernicanism
• Church was prepared to tolerate hypothesis (not
  fact). Galileo forced to recant.
• Tried and found guilty of heresy, house arrest
  Dialogue was placed on the Index of Forbidden
  Books

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Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

• Used experimental philosophy physics
• Start with the natural world and then try to
  explain it
• Natural philosophy began with an idea and applied
  it to nature
• Used math to create models based on nature -
  used formulas
• Expressed observations in numeric language
• Math was a precise language that allowed for
  replication, collaboration and the creation of
  new knowledge
• Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of
  Natural Philosophy) (1687)

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Laws of Universal Gravitation

• 1.  Law of motion - every object is at rest or
  motion and continues until some force affects the
  object
• 2.  Rate of change of motion is in proportion to
  the force which affects the object
• 3.  To every action there is always an equal and
  opposite reaction

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Discoveries in Anatomy

• Andreas Vesalius
• Galen (Classical source) established classical
  beliefs regarding anatomy and physiology.
• More accurate anatomical sketches  
• William Harvey
• Blood circulates throughout the body in a
  continuous loop
• Previously believed that there were two
  circulation systems
• Heart as a pump

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Discoveries in Chemistry

• Robert Boyle
• supported atomic view of matter - chemistry
• Boyle's Law  relationship between pressure and
  gas
• Promoted the use to experimental technology

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The Scientific Method

• Use of observation and data collection to prove
  or disprove a hypothesis had been used by various
  researchers for centuries (especially the Arabs)
• Scientists such as Copernicus and Galileo revive
  the use of these techniques in Europe.
• Later scientists build upon their methods toward
  a more codified scientific method.

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Francis Bacon

• Challenged Aristotles reliance on deductive
  reasoning.
• codification of the Scientific Method (inductive
  empirical experimentalism)
• The Advancement of Learning (1605)

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Rene Descartes

• Jesuit education Schooled in Aristotelian
  philosophy
• Disagreed with the basis of Aristotelian
  philosophy
• Embraced Skepticism (people who use doubt as the
  basis of knowledge)
• Rejected absolute construct of knowledge,
  knowledge based on probability
• Constructed knowledge based on doubt, but
  reaffirmed the value of deductive reasoning.
• Used "proofs" to support philosophical learning
• Could only accept that which you could prove
• "I think, therefore I am"

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Rene Descartes

• Cartesian dualism  Mind and matter are separate,
  so to is the physical world from intellectual
  constructs (basis for science)            
• Example  Ontological proof of god
• One could only accept God if you could prove it
  exists
• Descartes knew that he was not perfect
• Only a perfect individual could place that
  concept in ones mind
• Therefore perfection must exist
• What is perfection, existence without limits
  God
• proof for God based upon doubt, if you doubt it
  then it must exist at some level
• Contrast it to Aristotelian proof  Causality
• believed that humans could more completely
  understand their world by using abstract
  principles
• Believed in that nature operated based on a
  Mechanical set of laws

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Blaise Pascal

• Scientist who studied probability and
  mathematics.
• He had concerns about sciences influence on
  faith.
• Wrote Pensees, reflections on faith and science.

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Scientific Societies

• As the importance of science grew, scientific
  societies formed to promote research and share
  knowledge.
• Many had govt connections and support
  reflecting the growing influence of central
  governments,
• Rome (1603), Florence (1657), England (Royal
  Society, 1662), France (French Academy, 1666),
  Prussia (Berlin Academy, 1701)