chapter 4 - renaissance science & philosophy

Question 1

what is the renaissance? what are the converging forces that led to this rebirth?

Answer 1

• rebirth of greek paradigm, several hubs of knowledge
• global exploration: trade, ideas from all over, money, the beginning of the colonial era
• trade: change your occupation (merchant class, ship building)
• crusades: bringing back books from overtaking the east
• printing press: quickly spreading knowledge, religious texts, exchanging ideas, widespread literacy

Question 2

what are the parallels between the zeitgeist and european renaissance?

Answer 2

• flourishing of ideas; hotspot for knowledge, money, culture, trade, growth
• open inquiry

Question 3

how does the protestant reformation relate to individualism?

Answer 3

• individualism: power of the individual to make a positive difference
• personal religion: personal connection with god, no need to go through a church (printing press was an enemy to the church)
• knowledge is power: church is the gatekeeper, ask god directly for forgiveness
• indulgence salesmen (pay guy to be forgiven)

Question 4

why were the early protestants anti-aristotle?

Answer 4

• humanism, thinking for oneself

Question 5

why was the printing press so important to the protestant reformation?

Answer 5

• spreading the word quickly and widely
• literacy grew

Question 6

how did galileo’s experiments and observations relate to aristotle? how does this relate to christian dogma at the time?

Answer 6

• proved aristotle wrong, churches did not like it
• went against church beliefs
• falling bodies experiment, telescope

Question 7

what are primary and secondary qualities? what are the implications for psychology?

Answer 7

• primary: objective (mass, shape, light, texture)
• secondary: subjective (color, weight, senses)
• psychological experiences are secondary

Question 8

what was francis bacon’s view of science and its potential biases?

Answer 8

• having data with no theories is not good
• believed rationalism was biased and should not be used
• theories should not be used
  bias
• cave: personal bias
• tribe: bias for human nature
• marketplace: influenced by the meaning of words
• theater: bias blind from allegiance