The Scientific Revolution

Question 1

What was the Aristotelian world view?

Answer 1

Earth in the middle of universe and planets revolve around (global (circular) motion) = geocentric model

Planets perfectly round and movement in perfect circles - epicycles

Earth static - movement =vertical - elements have natural place (local (vertical) motion)

Question 2

What did Copernicus make observations on?

Answer 2

Mathematical sense that earth orbits sun- idea of calculating where a planet should be makes more sense that earth rotates sun -> began to undermine Aristotelian view = heliocentric model

Question 3

Rationalist tradition - what was Johannes Keller’s view?

Answer 3

Mathematically makes sense planet orbits elliptic not circular
Sun not centre but focal point of ellipse
Linear nor angular speed are constant but area speed is (speed different at different points of orbit)

Question 4

What did Galileo find?

Answer 4

Perfected telescope
Contradicted smooth, perfect circle planets - saw craters
Contradicted everything orbits earth- saw 4 moons around Jupiter
Suggested cannon balls follow parabolic path like planets similar to track of ellipse
Came up with primary and secondary qualities

Question 5

How did newton contribute to scientific revolution?

Answer 5

Used mathematics to describe primary qualities eg. To describe planets and object motion
Used lots of experimental data
Mechanistic world view - saw world as a machine

Question 6

What was Francis bacon’s method?

Answer 6

Baconian Method - collect enough facts, can derive enough laws to get a good idea of how the universe works
Used tables to gather common factors and find common factor success - beware of idols eg. Influence of other factors - be objective

Modern day eg. IQ - can make list of all elements that define intelligence eg. Memory, maths, language etc

Question 7

How did Rene Descartes contribute to scientific method?

Answer 7

Radical doubt - everything can be doubted but that I am thinking - separates humans from animals
Animals = machines -> no awareness of being aware, no behavioural flexibility, no language
Dualist
Problems of dualism - where does mind interact with body? Homunculus problem (infinite regression), existence of others minds

Question 8

What was Leibniz’s idea of bodily events?

Answer 8

Every event is accompanied by a mental event - psychophysical parallelism - mathematically applied to the universe - processes follow the same course

Question 9

What were Hobbes and Spinoza’s views on mind body relationship?

Answer 9

Hobbes - only matter exists = materialism no mind

Spinoza - mind and body = 2 sides of same coin = aspectual dualism - one thing that look at from a different perspective

Question 10

What is enlightenment?

Answer 10

Method that figures out feelings etc (secondary qualities)
Reason leads way to insight and happiness
Attempts to apply how well science has done to psychology and mind - mechanisation of mind

Question 11

What is John Locke’s view?

Answer 11

Born as blank slate and only learn from observations, gain knowledge from experiences
Have no innate faculties eg. perceiving, remembering

Sensation gives simple ideas -> combination and abstraction gives us complex ideas eg. horse - different ideas eg. legs, body, hair come together

Question 12

What is David Hume’s ideas?

Answer 12

Experience brings knowledge, not reason

Complex ideas can be traced back to (simple) impressions

Abstract things can’t be decomposed = doesn’t exist eg. god - have no impressions - self-illusion

Question 13

Chapter 2

What were Newton’s ideas regarding the planets?

Answer 13

Came up with idea objects attracted to each other

Explained why planets orbit sun and moons orbit planets but also defined relevant forces and described them so they could be calculated precisely

Question 14

Chapter 2

What factors are thought to have set off the scientific revolution?

Answer 14

Growth of population and urbanisation
Crisis of religion
New inventions that made information more easily available
Existence of universities and patronage
Massive enrichment from Greek and Arab civilisations
Idea that small issues could be solved without need of overall view that explained everything in the universe

Question 15

Chapter 2

Inductive v Deductive reasoning

Answer 15

Deductive - form of reasoning which start from a number of indisputable premises from which new true conclusions can be drawn if the rules of logic are followed

Inductive - start from observations and try to reach general conclusions on basis of convergences in the observations - needed in science to turn observed phenomena into scientific laws but doesn’t guarantee conclusions are true

Question 16

Chapter 2

What were changes to society as result of the scientific revolution? (as stated by Kagan)

Answer 16

Mechanical devices took over manual labour and increased production of goods
People started to live longer on average
most people had better health
People became more literate
Knew more about the world 

Lead to further differentiation of occupations - trained for jobs and made society more complex

Question 17

Chapter 2

What is positivism?

Answer 17

View authentic knowledge can only be obtained by means of scientific method

Scientific knowledge always true and should always guide decisions made

Question 18

Chapter 2

What is the view of romanticists?

Answer 18

Universe if a living and changing organism

Question 19

Chapter 2

How did scientific revolution change the culture of the times?

Answer 19

Created a divide between science and religion/humanities