2 - Scientific Revolution

Question 1

“We do not learn, and that what we call learning is only a
process of recollection.”

Who said this?

Answer 1

Plato

Question 2

What were important theories of Augustine of Hippo?

Middle ages

Answer 2

• theory of learning (parent pointing out object with sound - child learns that sound signifies object) - seemingly associative learning
• theory of unconscious mind (something something there is more than memory)
• Problem of other minds (how do we know others have consciousness)

Question 3

What revolutionizes calculation?

Answer 3

The invention of nothing (aka zero, thanks Brahmagupta - Indian)

Question 4

What is the ptolemaic system?

aka geocentric

Answer 4

Celestial bodies orbit earth

Question 5

From what framework does Ptolemy work and why is this problematic?

Answer 5

A geocentric (ptolemaic) one, however observation seems to clash with this so he makes a complex mathematical model to keep in line with this view that introduces epicycles (to explain retrograde models)

Question 6

Copernicus opposes Ptolemy’s model how?

Answer 6

Introduction of a heliocentric model (aka celestial bodies orbits sun)

act. first introduced by Aristarchus of Samos

Question 7

Copernicus doesn’t publish his model until shortly before his death, why?

Answer 7

• Scared of Church’s pushback
• Evidence for his model is not all that strong

Question 8

Four, at the time, common critiques against Copernicus’ model?

Answer 8

1. Data eh described and equally as complex as Ptolemy
2. If earth orbits the sun, how not flung into space
3. Why is the moon not orbiting the sun
4. Why does a stone thrown from a tower fall right down (shoutout to gravity, my boy)

Question 9

It will take a while until someone takes Copernicus’ model seriously (circa 30 years), who and what was his evidence in favour? Also how was this important for later developments

Answer 9

Galileo Galilei
- The ship observation (aka bystander’s view vs. thrower) > parabolic movements
- Observations with the telescope (Venus’ phases, Jupiter’s moons, moon mountains). The latter coming back to Aristotle being fallible
- To point out, there are new discoveries to be made aka one should move away from purely preservation

The first would inspire Einstein and Newton

Question 10

How do Kepler’s discoveries aid the heliocentric model?

Answer 10

Planets descrive ellipses and not circles, which makes the helio model much simpler than the geo one

tbf it likes take a while to stick tho

Question 11

What instigated the interest in the motions of the Earth/Moon/Sun and how would this be important for later developments?

Answer 11

Need for improved calendar > heliocentric model

Question 12

Decartes’ key ideas regarding the world?

Answer 12

Dualism = soul and body split (body = mechanistic, soul = divine)
Mechanistic view = everything in material word is a machine and thus things do not have goals and intentions (opposition to animism)

Question 13

Why were Newton’s discoveries (first laws of physics) important to science?

Answer 13

it put forward the notion that science could uncover the underlying mechanisms of the world

Question 14

What are six factors that aided the later scientific revolution?

Answer 14

1. Population growth/urbanisation/merchants
2. Religous crisis (e.g., protestant reform.)
3. Inventions (mechanical clock, compass, etc.)
4. Universities and patronage
5. Text discovery and thus enrichment from Greek/Arab civil.
6. Focus on small issues without overarching view that explained the universe (tho lowkey came to bite us in the ass later)

Question 15

What were three further factors that aided the later scientific revolution to ensure that it did not die before it could properly bloom?

Answer 15

• Lack of major disasters/wars
• Lack of supression of religion
• Establishments of learned societies (aka info. organization/cumilation)

Question 16

What does Francis Bacon propose for the scientific method?

Answer 16

• A combination of observation and reasoning (because there are biases and limitations in pure observation)
• The need for observation and inductive reasoning. Specifically systematic observation for understanding, to come to axioms and refute/evaluate axioms (aka empirical cycle?)
• His “idola” or fallacies
• Normative methodology protects from the idols

new method = novum organum

Question 17

What were Bacon’s proposed “idola” or fallacies? How are these relevant still?

four total

Answer 17

1. Idols of the tribe = fallacies inherent to human nature (e.g., susceptibility to visual illusions, to see order where it is not, confirmation bias, etc.)
2. Idols of the cave = Individual fallacies dependent on culture, interests and habits (e.g., common beliefs, prejudices, etc.)
3. Idols of the marketplace = tied to our ability to speak (e.g., vagueness of language, reification - we assume abstract ideas are physical, etc.)
4. Idols of the theatre = based on trust in authorities (e.g., the reverence of Aristotle and Plato)

> > Understanding and admitting biases humans inherintly have, constitutes a big part of psychology today. “instituionalization of Bacon’s distrusts” aka replication, peer reviews, stats, experiment.

Question 18

The reactions to the scientific revolution can be divided into positive (3) and negative (4) ones, which are these?

Answer 18

Positive:
1. Englightenment (reason and science as the basis of society)
2. Positivism (science is motor of progress and true knowledge)
3. Scientific knowledge is always true knowledge and should guide decisions

Negative:
1. Roman Church (science is second rank, should be guided by religious morals)
2. Protestant Church (more positive view of science, but should still be guided by religion)
3. Humanities (tradition has shown to be good; do not overhaul it)
4. Romanticism (against the mechanistic view of the world used by scientists; universe is living abd changing organism)