Name/Historical Significance Flashcards
Most influential figure in Western history
Divided the Catholic Church
Sparked the Protestant Reformation
European movement aimed to reform beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church
His central teachings taught that the Bible is the central source of religion
Hammered his Ninety-five Theses to the Church door
Split the church into two churches- one loyal to the pope, one against
Changed Christianity with his 95 Theses
Martin Luther
Political philosopher and statesman
Served as senior official; had responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs
Wrote comedies, carnival songs, poetry
Wrote his best-known work The Prince
His book proposed that immoral behavior such as dishonesty and killing of innocents was normal and effective in politics
Encouraged politicians to engage in evil when it was necessary for political expediency
His ideas had a major impact on political leaders throughout the modern west
Showed his greatest skill and made a lasting mark in history as a writer
Gained power in Florence but once his leadership was lost, he lost his political influence
His book is an important historical work
Was one of the most important historical figures of the Renaissance or Reformation
Niccolò Machiavelli
Astronomer
Proposed the heliocentric system
Planets orbit around the sun; not the Earth
Spent most of his time studying mathematics and astronomy
Suggested that Earth’s rotation/revolution accounted for the rise and setting of the sun, movement of stars, cycle of season
His model wasn’t completely correct
Formed a strong foundation for future scientists to build on and improve
Astronomers built on his work
Catholic Church rejected his idea
Laid out his model of the solar system and the path of the planets
Nicolaus Copernicus
Italian philosopher, astronomer, mathematician
Made fundamental contributions to the sciences of motion and astronomy
Built the telescope
Became the first person to look at the Moon through a telescope
Found that the moon was not smooth
His observations strengthened his belief in Copernicus’ theory
The Catholic Church supported the geocentric theory (Earth center) NOT heliocentric
He was accused of being someone who opposed the Church’ teachings
Continued his study of astronomy and was more convinced that all planets revolve around the sun
Published a book that stated that Copernicus’ theory was correct
Galileo Galilei
Developed the theory of gravity
Laws of motion (basic for physics)
Developed a new type of mathematics called calculus
Formed theories of optics and determined the properties of light
Groundbreaking work on the laws of motion and gravity
Recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time
Key figure in the scientific revolution
True genius of his work
Took his theories and applied them to the universe at large
Explained the motions of the Sun and planets
Isaac Newton
First monarch to be called king of Great Britain
Because of Queen Elizabeth I’s death, he was also ruler of Scotland
His reign was important because it was the very first time England and Scotland had the same monarch
Was very educated and good at learning
He helped people in England and Scotland study science, literature, and art
Considered to have been one of the most intellectual individuals to sit on the English or Scottish thrones
Wanted to achieve closer relations with Spain but this was not liked by the Parliament
James often fought with the Parliament of England
King James I
English philosopher, scientist, and historian
Best known for his political philosophy; especially in his masterpiece Leviathan
Viewed the government as a device for ensuring collective security
Believed that a monarchy provided the best authority
Believed that this was the only form of government strong enough to hold humanity’s cruel impulses in check
His political views have been the subject of much commentary
Thomas Hobbes
Religious leader who sailed on the ‘Mayflower’
Played an important role in the first Thanksgiving who was Plymouth colony’s governor
Him along with other Pilgrims decided to set up a colony in the New World
They wrote the ‘Mayflower Compact’
Document that defined government and civil laws
Was one of the men who signed the document; emphasized his importance and leadership qualities
Elected governor
Leadership role that he held for most of his life
Excellent leader
Worked to maintain friendly relations with the Native Americans
Organized fishing, trading, and farming within the community
William Bradford
Lord Chancellor of England
Was an English Renaissance statesman and philosopher
Best known for his promotion of the scientific method
Laws of science are discovered by gathering and analyzing data from experiments and observations, rather than logic-based arguments
Remained influential through the scientific revolution
Believed that scientific knowledge based upon inductive reasoning and observations in nature
He was a patron of libraries and developed a functional system for the cataloging of books
Divided them into three categories- history, poetry, and philosophy
Sir Francis Bacon
French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist
Invented analytical geometry
Represented the horizontal direction as x; vertical as y
First major figure rationalism (understanding the world based on the use of reason)
Regarded as the first “modern” thinker
Applied mathematics and logic to understanding the natural world.
Father of modern philosophy for defining a starting point for existence “I think; therefore I am.”
René Descartes
