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History - Witchcraft > Scientific Revolution > Flashcards

Scientific Revolution Flashcards

1
Q

Francis Bacon

A

Proficience of Learning

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2
Q

Homocentric

A

earth is at the centre of the universe

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3
Q

Heliocentric

A

sun is at the centre of the universe

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4
Q

Empiricism

A

knowledge can only come about by experience

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5
Q

What were the two dominant ideas during the scientific revolution?

A
  • Aristotle’s approach of empiricism

- Plato’s ideas of theories to explain the natural world

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6
Q

What are Kepler’s three laws of Planetary Motion?

A
  1. Planets travel in eliptical circles
  2. Planets to not travel at a constant speed
  3. The further from the sun, the longer it takes to orbit it
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7
Q

Kepler

A

Astronomia Nova, 1609

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8
Q

Kepler - increasing scepticism

A
  • Encouraging people to look for natural causes and observe events, rather than jumping to conclusions and using magic as explanation
  • His model of the solar system and planetary laws developed understanding of the universe
  • Later scientists were able to build on his work
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9
Q

Kepler - no change

A
  • Witchcraft act not repealed until 1736
  • Still widespread popular belief in witches
  • Members of the Royal Society still believe in witchcraft
  • He was deeply religious
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10
Q

Galilei

A

Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632

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11
Q

What did Gelilei write about in his 1632 publication?

A
  • He believed with Copernicus that the sun was the centre of the solar system (Heliocentric)
  • The book was structured as a debate between three men with conflicting views
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12
Q

Galilei - Increasing scepticism

A
  • His work was published in Italian and translated into a number of other languages, ensuring his influence became widespread
  • He begins the idea that the church and state should be separate
  • His biggest influence was in ensuring a mathematical approach to natural phenomena
  • Chruch saw him as a threat - arrested and books banned
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13
Q

Galilei - no change

A
  • Widespread popular belief in witches e.g.Salem in 1692

- His understandings were not supported by elites e.g.Church condemns him in 1633

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14
Q

Newton

A

Principia Mathematica, 1687

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15
Q

What ideas were put forward in Principia Mathematica?

A
  1. Kepler’s laws of planetary motion were proven mathematically
  2. That physics on earth worked the same as physics in the rest of the universe
  3. Explained centrifugal fore
  4. Developed a theory of acoustics
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16
Q

What were Newton’s three laws?

A
  1. Every object will remain in place or in motion unless acted upon by an outsider force
  2. The external force on an object is equal to the mass of the object times its rate of acceleration
  3. For every force, there is an equal and opposite reaction
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17
Q

Newton - Increasing scepticism

A
  • Significant part of scientific revolution that undermined a belief in magic
  • Built on Kepler’s laws in 1687 - represents the final long stage of theory and discovery
  • Principia Mathematica represents an important break from the mind-set of the middle ages - he completed the ‘mathematisation’ of natural philosophy
18
Q

Newton - no change

A
  • Newton still believed in magic, he was a practicing alchemist, he was also concerned with biblical prophecies
  • Witchcraft act in 1736 - elite are slow to act on findings of scientists
  • Still widespread popular belief in witches
19
Q

Francis Bacon

Proficience of Learning

A

1605

20
Q

Thomas Hobbes #1

A

De Corpore

21
Q

Thomas Hobbes #2

A

De Homine

22
Q

John Locke

A

Essay Concerning Human Understanding

23
Q

Thomas Hobbes

De Corpore

A

1655

24
Q

Thomas Hobbes

De Homine

A

1658

25
Q

John Locke

Essay Concerning Human Understanding

A

1690

26
Q

Impact of John Locke Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690)

A

→ This essay had great significance for witchcraft and magic and was essentially a publication that got right to the heart of the matter.
→ Locke made no allowance for the supernatural and although he never went as far as to say spirits did not exist
→ He thought it was impossible to arrive at any certain knowledge of them because he had not experienced them for himself.
→ As spirits do not have primary qualities, their nature and their existence is based on personal perceptions, and thus can never be proved.

27
Q

Impact of Thomas Hobbes and Materialism (1655-1658)

A

→ goes a long way to explaining why belief in witchcraft and magic went into decline after 1660.
→ A crucial argument of Hobbes’ was that unusual phenomena that had been observed, such as cases of possession were actually the result of madness, poisoning or epilepsy.
→ Hobbes did not deny though that there could be spirits with material bodies that are too fine to be seen by humans.
→ His ideas became very fashionable in the early 18th century, when the final cases of witchcraft were being investigated and sceptical opinion was at its peak.
-John Webster
-Balthasar Bekker
-John Holt
→ All approached cases of witchcraft with a rational mindset that was influenced by the work of Hobbes.

28
Q

Impact of Francis Bacon Proficience of Learning (1605)

A
  1. His ideas and methods began being implemented mainly after 1640, and he influenced members of the Royal Society.
  2. Bacon’s rational method was eventually used in the study of religion (re-examining the bible), society, philosophy and eventually history.
29
Q

Limitations of Proficience of Learning

A
  1. IMPORTANT - empiricist approach itself did not deny the existence of magic. In fact, Bacon’s experimental approach allowed ‘magic’ (unexplained or supernatural physical phenomena) to be observed as part of the scientific approach.
  2. Some of the early members of the Royal Society actually used Bacon’s methods to try to empirically prove the existence of witchcraft.
30
Q

Define Inductive reasoning

A

Reasoning based on evidence. The inductive approach allows for an original hypothesis to be disproven

31
Q

Define Deductive reasoning

A

When a conclusion is made based on something already known or assumed

32
Q

Gresham College and Royal Society - increasing scepticism

A
  • Both are important for human understanding - this would eventually nean a decline in witchcraze due to no longer blaming natural causes
  • The RS enjoyed enormous prestige and attracted membership of the social and intellectual elite
  • The RS was responsible for printing Principia Mathematica
33
Q

Gresham College and Royal Society - no change

A
  • Ordinary people were not massively affected by it
  • Elite are slow to act on new knowledge as Act is not repealed until 1736
  • Large portion of RS still believed in magic
34
Q

How was Copernicus impactful to the Scientific Revolution?

A

His publication in 1543, marks the beginning of the revolution
He digressed from the Ancient Greek theory and suggested that the Earth revolved on its own axis –> first examples of radical new ideas

35
Q

What were the limitations of Copernicus?

A
  • Only theoretical conclusions not empirical observations to avoid blasphemy
  • His ideas were not taken seriously - only 10 thinkers viewed his theory as physical truth
36
Q

What did Copernicus reveal about the scientific revolutions contribution to scepticism?

A
  • Scientific revolution on its own was not hugely revolutionary because everyone discredited Copernicus’ ideas
  • Increased understanding and education was needed across society for scepticism to increase, which is why change happened much later
37
Q

Overall, how impactful was the advancement of science and reason to witchcraft decline?

A

It passively undermined a belief in witchcraft by proving how things that previously unexplained worked
No direct impact belief on witchcraft because most couldn’t understand it but influenced elite, and importantly judges

38
Q

What were Rene Descartes beliefs?

A

Mechanical Philosophy

The world, stars and celestial objects are all part of the same ‘machine’

39
Q

What is the impact of Rene Descartes?

A
  • Pushes the ‘ancient’ theories out
    Challenges the Platonic belief that the physical world is controlled by a spiritual one
    Challenges the Aristotelian belief that the earth and stars were separate
  • Changes the direction of natural philosophy in the first half of the 1600s
40
Q

What was the significance of Locke’s Essay?

A
  • He concludes that experience is the most important source of human knowledge
  • Locke was a materialist and an empiricist, he made no allowances for the supernatural
  • Though some people interpreted his ideas as heretical

History - Witchcraft (9 decks)

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