Chapter 14: New Directions in Thought and Culture in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Question 1

Galileo and his views on how nature should be understood and explained

Answer 1

Mathematically – the universe was rational, however it’s rationality was not that of medieval scholastic logic. Mathematical regularity was evident to Galileo throughout physical nature. A world of qualities (beauty, color, taste) being replace by quantity (mathematical relationships, rationality, mechanistic).

Question 2

17th century scientists

Answer 2

Capernicus, Brahle, Kepler, Galileo, Newton

Question 3

Characteristics/Descriptions of the Scientific Revolution

Answer 3

The process that established the new view of the universe. Often reexamining and rethinking theories and data from the ancient world. Not rapid. Complex movement with many false starts. Did not involve more than a few hundred people.

Question 4

Ptolemaic

Answer 4

Aristotle and Ptolemy’s ideas together. Made mathematical calculations relating to astronomy. Believed in geocentrism. Church believed in this.

Question 5

Copernican

Answer 5

Heliocentrism - earth revolved around the sun

Question 6

Nicolaus Copernicus’ contributions to the Scientific Revolution

Answer 6

Published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres in 1543. Laid foundation and springboard for other natural philosophers.

Question 7

Tychonic

Answer 7

Heliogeocentrism

Question 8

Tycho Brahe’s contributions to the Scientific Recolution

Answer 8

Heliogeocentrism and astronomical data. Foundation used by Kepler, who was his assistant.

Question 9

Johannes Kepler’s contributions to the Scientific Revolution

Answer 9

Supported Copernicus in heliocentrism with elipitical orbits. Published A New Astronomy in 1609.

Question 10

Facts about Isaac Newton and his contributions to the Scientific Revolution

Answer 10

1642-1727. Published in 1683 Principia Mathematica, the idea of universal gravitation. One of the forefathers of empiricism.

Question 11

Galileo’s literary works

Answer 11

Starry Messenger: Data reports on the skies looking through his improved telescope
Letters on Sunspots: Discovered that there are spots on the sun and that the sun rotated

Question 12

Galileo’s views of universe

Answer 12

Heliocentrism

Question 13

Galileo’s major contributions to Scientific Revolution

Answer 13

1609: Improved the telescope

Medici stars: Moons of Jupiter, named after Medici to gain patronage

Question 14

Mechanism and what natural philosophers believed it achieved

Answer 14

Sought to explain the world in terms of mechanical metaphors. Nature being conceived as machinery removed much of the mystery of the world and the previous assumption of the presence of divine purpose in nature.

Question 15

Facts about Francis Bacon and beliefs

Answer 15

1561-1626. Lawyer, high royal official, author of histories, moral essays and philosophical discourse. Father of empiricism and of experimentation in science. Not a natural philosopher. Attacked the scholastic belief that most truth had already been discovered and only required explanation as well as the scholastic reverence for authority in intellectual life. Believed scholastic thinkers paid too much attention to tradition and ancient knowledge. Wanted change and innovation.

Question 16

Contributions of Francis Bacon to scientific inquiry

Answer 16

1605: The Advancement of Learning
1620: Novum Organum
1627: The New Atlantis

Attacked the scholastic belief that most truth had already been discovered and only required explanation as well as the scholastic reverence for authority in intellectual life. Believed scholastic thinkers paid too much attention to tradition and ancient knowledge. Wanted change and innovation.

Question 17

Cartesian Dualism

Answer 17

Thinking things vs things that occupy space

Question 18

Beliefs on knowledge according to Francis Bacon

Answer 18

Human knowledge should improve the human condition.

Question 19

Descartes view of nature

Answer 19

1637: Discourse on Method - rejected scholastic philosophy and education. Advocated thought founded on a mathematical model.

Deduction. Deduce existence of God. Human reason can fully comprehend the world. Thinking things vs things occupying space. Rejected all forms of intellectual authority except conviction of his own reason. Could not doubt his own act of thinking and existence.

Question 20

Thomas Hobbes’ literary work and favored form of government

Answer 20

1651: Leviathan. Absolutism.

Question 21

Thomas Hobbes’ Social Contract

Answer 21

Humans can escape terrible state of nature by entering a political contract according to which they agreed to live in a commonwealth rightly ruled by a recognized sovereign. Only a contract between ruler and those being ruled could grant people the ability to carry out limits of free exercise of natural human pursuits of self-interest.

Question 22

Thomas Hobbes’ view on humanity

Answer 22

Humans only exist to meet needs of daily life, not higher spiritual ends. Humans have a “perpetual and restless desire” for power which leads to competition and quarrels.

Question 23

John Locke’s literary works

Answer 23

First Treatise of Government: Rejected arguments for absolute government rooted in patriarchy. No major political philosopher appealed to the patriarchal model after this publication.
Second Treatise of Government: Government should be responsible and responsive to the concerns of the governed. The natural human state as one perfect freedom and equality through rights of life, liberty and property.

Question 24

John Locke’s social contract

Answer 24

Justified rebellion when the government defies laws of nature, like Thomas Aquinas.

Question 25

John Locke’s view on the role of the government

Answer 25

The government is responsible for securing the rights of life, liberty and property to their subjects.

Question 26

John Locke’s views on people and their rights

Answer 26

Humans are of reason and basic goodwill. Rights include right of life, liberty and property.

Question 27

Tabula Rasa

Answer 27

The notion that everyone is born with a mind like a blank slate which is written on while they experience life. Denounces original sin.

Question 28

Role of women during the scientific revolution

Answer 28

Weren’t really present, weren’t admitted to universities, so they couldn’t have a major impact in it.

Question 29

Fields of study in which Maria Winkelmann contributed to the scientific revolution

Answer 29

Astrology (discovered a comet), all the credit was given to her husband

Question 30

Movements/events of the 18th century influenced by the new science

Answer 30

The Enlightenment, The Academies of Science around Europe were developed, the Catholic Church was damaged.

Question 31

Trial of Galileo

Answer 31

1633. Condemning Galileo to heresy and imprisonment if he didn’t recant (which he did) by the Council of Trent which prohibited private interpretation of new theory.

Question 32

Blaise Pascal’s literary works

Answer 32

Pensées (Thoughts) - Refuted dogmatism and skepticism. Formulated his views on these matters in a provocative collection of reflections on humankind and religion.

Question 33

Pascal’s views on God and mankind

Answer 33

God: A loving God exists.

Mankind: Humans, corrupt by nature, are unworthy of God.

Believed in Jansenist/Calvinist views: Human being’s total sinfulness, eternal predestination to heaven of hell by God, and their complete dependence on faith and grace for knowledge of God and salvation.

Question 34

Pascal’s religious affiliation

Answer 34

Jansenist

Question 35

Pascals’ opposition to groups of people and reasons

Answer 35

Jesuits, believed that their arguments designed to minimize and excuse sinful acts distorted Christian teaching.

Skeptics, they either denied religion altogether (atheists) or accepted i only as it conformed to reason (deists).

Question 36

Pascal’s famous wager

Answer 36

It’s better to believe in God, just in case.

Question 37

Physic-theology

Answer 37

Idea of Bible and Nature being of the same author - should compliment each other. Religious thought deducted from observing nature.

Question 38

Causes of Witch Hunts

Answer 38

Superstition, speculation of unknown, used as scapegoats, gap of high magic (church) to low magic (civilian).

Question 39

Targets of Witchcraft

Answer 39

Mostly women, 40 years or older that were single or widowed, midwives, “cunning folk” healers or herbalists.

Question 40

Reasons for end of witch-hunts

Answer 40

The new science brought reasoning.

Question 41

Emergence of Baroque Art

Answer 41

Emerged in papal Rome. Mechanism of Catholic counter-Reformation.

Question 42

Characteristics of Baroque art and technique

Answer 42

Naturalistic as opposed to idealized. Faithfulness to nature mirrored paralleled the interest in natural knowledge associated with the rise of the new science and the deeper understanding of human anatomy that was achieved during this period.

Question 43

Baroque Art

Answer 43

Style associated with 17th century painting, sculpture and architecture.

Question 44

Baroque Artists

Answer 44

Michelangelo Caravaggio

Question 45

Baroque Monuments

Answer 45

St. Peter’s Basilica