The Scientific Revolution

Question 1

Why is the phrase “The Scientific Revolution” controversial?

Answer 1

The: Many advancements, not just one revolution. No snapping point.

Scientific: Galileo and Newton referred to their work as philosophical rather than scientific

Revolution: Maybe perceived as gradual change rather than a revolution because of the large time scale

Question 2

What was The Scientific Revolution?

Answer 2

Advancement in technology and ideas

Question 3

When did The Scientific Revolution begin?

Answer 3

It started 1543 and continued from the 16th and 17th centuries until the early 18th

Question 4

What evidence is there that a revolution occurred? Give examples.

Answer 4

1. The Royal Society
2. Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
3. Vesalius (On the Fabric of the Human Body)
4. Galileo and the mathematician to the Medici
5. Newton and the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Question 5

How did The Royal Society develop and what significance did it have?

Answer 5

Previously limited by church, but a new way of coming together to discuss ideas around medicine and mathematics, unrestricted by the church

Question 6

What was the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres and what significance did it have?

Answer 6

In 1543, Copernicus discovered the universe was heliocentric rather than geocentric - furthered by Kepler (1609) who defended Copernican heliocentrism and proposed elliptical planetary orbits

Question 7

What significance did Vesalius have?

Answer 7

In 1543, he wrote ‘On The Fabric of the Human Body’ which caused a major advance in anatomy because he deviated from norm by dissecting corpses in lectures, examining organs, and completing human structure

Question 8

What significance did Galileo (The mathematician to the Medici) have?

Answer 8

In 1610, they publicised telescopic observations of moon, Jupiter and its moons, Venus (Phases), new stars etc…

They saw the undermined uniqueness of earth and cast biblical explanations in doubt. Galileo didn’t think it was wrong, just needed to be reconsidered in light of scientific discoveries.

Question 9

What happened in 1616?

Answer 9

The Holy Office condemned heliocentrism heretical

Question 10

What significance did Newton and the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy have?

Answer 10

In 1687; gravity, the three laws of motion, and Newtonian calculus were discovered which remained the basis for modern physics until Einstein

Question 11

What was the traditional interpretation of historiography?

Answer 11

The Scientific Revolution was inspired largely by classical culture

Question 12

What was the modern interpretation of historiography?

Answer 12

They realized the importance of Islamic Science, not just the translations

Question 13

Give an example of some people who contributed towards Islamic Science

Answer 13

1. Al-Khwarizmi who was Persian, and lived in c. 780-850

2. Alhacen who was Persian and lived in 965-c 1040

Question 14

What significance did Al-Khwarizmi have?

Answer 14

He developed algebra and a formula to solve quadratic equations, the decimal point, coined the terms ‘algorism’ & ‘algorithm’ from the Latin Algorithmi, ‘algebra’ from al-jabr

Question 15

What significance did Alhacen have?

Answer 15

He developed optics, physics, scientific method, and influenced Newton

Question 16

What evidence is there that a revolution did not occur? Give examples.

Answer 16

1. Was bloodless, and not dramatic enough to be revolution
2. Didn’t affect the entire population, just elites
3. Didn’t completely reject old ideas, wasn’t an entirely new system
4. Took hundreds of years, too long to be a revolution?