New Directions in Thought & Culture

Question 1

What part of the population did the Scientific Revolution involve?

Answer 1

small population of highly elite individuals, women generally excluded

Question 2

What did the Scientific Revolution accomplish?

Answer 2

reappropriated old knowledge and the support of new discoveries and establishes new institutions to support the scientific enterprise

Question 3

When did the Scientific Revolution originate?

Answer 3

the Renaissance in Europe

Question 4

What was Copernicus’ main contribution to the Scientific Revolution?

Answer 4

he challenged the Ptolemaic system and advocated for the heliocentric view of the universe

Question 5

What was the name of Copernicus’ treatise?

Answer 5

On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres

Question 6

Copernican theory was in opposition to what view of the universe?

Answer 6

geocentric view

Question 7

What is an epicycle?

Answer 7

an orbit within an orbit; a small circle whose center moves around the circumference of a larger circle

Question 8

What was an advantage of the Copernican System?

Answer 8

there was more mathematical consistency, the epicycles became smaller, and it was easier to determine the order of the planets

Question 9

What parts of Copernicus’ new system accepted Ptolemaic theory?

Answer 9

he kept concepts of epicycles and deferents and accepted most parts of the Ptolemaic system

Question 10

What were Tycho Brahe’s beliefs?

Answer 10

He attempted to combine the geocentric and heliocentric models which argued that the earth was the center of the universe, the sun revolved around the earth, and other planets revolved around the sun

Question 11

What were Johannes Kepler’s beliefs?

Answer 11

He drew pro-Copernican conclusions from Brahe and was a convinced believer of a heliocentric universe. He was influenced by Renaissance Neoplatonism and suggested that orbits were elliptical

Question 12

Galileo’s beliefs?

Answer 12

He used his physical evidence from the telescope to argue that the universe required a Copernican view

Question 13

Galileo’s relationship with Church?

Answer 13

He was a high-profile advocate and had many problems with the Church and was ultimately condemned

Question 14

Galileo’s famous works?

Answer 14

Starry Messenger, Letters on Sunspots

Question 15

Factors involved in the development of the new science?

Answer 15

institutions of learning & humanist learning, idea of mechanism & mathematics, search for utility instead of symbolism, natural knowledge

Question 16

Descartes’ process of reasoning?

Answer 16

deductive reasoning, advocated thought founded on mathematical models, rejected all forms of intellectual authority except the conviction of his own reason

Question 17

Descartes’ basic beliefs regarding human reasoning?

Answer 17

human reason could fully comprehend the world

Question 18

Descartes belief in God?

Answer 18

existence of God was important to him because God always gave clear and distinct answers so God could not be a deceiver

Question 19

Bacon’s belief in inductive reasoning?

Answer 19

drawing conclusions from observations, deeds rather than words, abandonment of scholastic way of thinking

Question 20

Bacon’s overall beliefs?

Answer 20

he wanted to achieve new knowledge and capabilities for the world and insisted on appealing to experience, father of empiricism

Question 21

What did Bacon believe was the goal of science?

Answer 21

he believed science had a practical purpose and its goal was human improvement, linked science to material progress

Question 22

Locke’s beliefs and influence?

Answer 22

most influential thinker of 17th century, believed humans were creatures of goodwill in their natural state, believed in defending the rights of people under a power hungry ruler

Question 23

Hobbe’s beliefs?

Answer 23

he supported the new scientific movement, believed humans to be selfish and lacking a master, and rulers should be absolute and unlimited in power

Question 24

Newton’s major scientific contribution?

Answer 24

formulated laws of motion and gravitation

Question 25

Name of Newton’s major treatise?

Answer 25

Principia Mathematica

Question 26

Theory of universal gravitation?

Answer 26

the planets and all other physical objects in the universe moved through mutual attraction/gravity

Question 27

Newton’s attitude towards religion?

Answer 27

science and religious faith are compatible and mutually supportive, to understand nature was to form a better understanding of its creator, God

Question 28

Why did Pascal reject the new science?

Answer 28

because the new science either denied religion altogether or accepted it only when it conformed to reason, he believed reason was too weak to solve the problems of human nature

Question 29

Pascal’s goals and beliefs?

Answer 29

he defended religious faith and encouraged people to consider God’s existence, believed humans were sinful, refuted dogmatism and skepticism

Question 30

Pascal’s connection with Jansenists?

Answer 30

he was allied with Jansenists who were Catholic opponents of Jesuits

Question 31

What is ‘Pensees’?

Answer 31

collection of fragments of Pascal’s life’s work

Question 32

Beliefs of the Scientific Revolution?

Answer 32

rejection of a geo-centric universe, use of math and common sense, nature being a machine, new criteria for empirical research, inductive and deductive reasoning

Question 33

Principle idea behind the expansion of science?

Answer 33

idea that genuinely new knowledge of nature and humankind could be discovered

Question 34

Attitude of advanced thinkers of the 17th century towards scientific societies?

Answer 34

they criticized universities because they wanted to preserve the traditional style of education and rejected membership

Question 35

Characterize beliefs of scientific societies?

Answer 35

they sought a practical application of their scientific ideas and urged religious toleration

Question 36

Female roles during the scientific revolution?

Answer 36

women did not have a place in intellectual society and were only able to engage in the artisan class through their husbands or other men in the family

Question 37

Who was Margaret Cavendish?

Answer 37

she was a philosopher and poet and duchess, made significant contributions to scientific literature, quarreled with Descartes & Hobbes, and her most important works were ‘Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy’ & ‘Grounds of Natural Philosophy’

Question 38

Who was Maria Winklemann?

Answer 38

she formed an astronomical team with her husband who was credited for the discovery of a comet she made, had a great understanding of astronomy, applied to continue her husband’s work but was rejected

Question 39

Themes found in Vemeer paintings?

Answer 39

themes of astronomy and a globe, geography, science & religion, camera obscura

Question 40

Role of Church in witch hunts?

Answer 40

the Catholic Church promoted the idea of witches, wanted to eliminate all competition for the loyalty of the subjects, and conducted examinations

Question 41

Main victims of witch hunts?

Answer 41

80% of witch hunt victims were women

Question 42

Why did witch hunts end?

Answer 42

due to the new scientific world view, it was hard to believe in the powers of witches

Question 43

Who were cunning folk?

Answer 43

they were practitioners of folk medicine and helped people with calamity in villages, their services also involved thwarting witchcraft