Unit 6Chapter 18

Science and Enlightenment

The Protestant Reformation Gave Way to Other

Revolutions*Science

*Enlightenment

Scientific Revolution“Prove It”

Scientific Revolution Fueled By

Scholasticism of the Late Middle Ages Humanism of the RenaissanceGrowth of Universities Growth of Literacy (printing press)Protestant ReformationAge of ExplorationPolitical Rivalries in Europe

Medieval View of the WorldSynthesis of Christian theology and scientific beliefs of the time

St. Thomas Aquinas studied Aristotle attempting to harmonize science with Christian thought (scholasticism)

Science was used to understand GodFour Elements of the Material World – earth, water, air and fire

Gave rise to alchemy – the idea that if you change those elements you get differences in the material world

Four Elements of the Human Body – blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile

Disease caused by evil spirits, punishment by GodPtolemy went unquestioned (“geocentric” theory - earth-centered universe)

Major Scientists Astronomy

Copernicus 1473-1543Tycho Brahe 1546-1601Johannes Kepler 1571-1630 Galileo 1564-1642Francis Bacon 1561-1626Isaac Newton 1642-1727

Medicine and ChemistryParacelsus 1493-1541Andreas Vesalius 1514-1564William Harvey 1578-1657

The Women-FolkIn the Middle Ages, women who sought learning were hampered by the idea that a woman’s appropriate role was that of a homemaker (unless they joined a convent)As a result of Humanism, some women were encouraged to read the classics and Christian textsBy the 17th century, however, this enthusiasm will wane, and education was only available to a privileged few

Margaret Cavendish Maria Merian Maria Winkelmann

Debates on the Nature of Women(querelles des femmes)

Middle Ages -Male view of women not very favorable Women inherently base Easily swayed an prone to vice Sexually insatiable

Early Modern Era – women began to speak out, argued that education was the key to women’s abilityScientific Revolution – Didn’t help much. Reaffirmed traditional medieval ideas about women

Anatomical skeletons of male and female pelvis’s reasserted the idea that women were only meant to be childbearers, and a males larger skull proved his intellectual superiority

As science and medicine were upgraded to professional crafts, women lost traditional roles as midwives

Widespread growth of literature allowed for the spread and continuation of sexist ideas

Typical for the Time

“which one shows to the curious, but which has no use at all, any more than a carousel horse”

-Jean de La Bryere on how an educated woman was like a gun that is a collectors item

Science and Religion

Deism – by product of the Scientific Revolution - Perceived god as a “watchmaker” who created the universe but has little influenceBlaise PascalBenedict de Spinoza

Key Concept

Church had to defend itself on two fronts Protestant Reformation which challenged the

Pope using theological grounds Scientific Revolution which challenged his

authority on scientific or mathematical grounds

Consequences of the Scientific Revolution

The growth of a well-respected, competitive scientific international communityThe development of a rational method for obtaining scientific knowledge versus basing conclusions on ancient established sourcesIt’s impact was on how people thought, however it was not applied to economic and social improvement until the 18th century (no improvement in the standard of living for most folks)

EnlightenmentPhilosophers, Social Critics, et al develop new ideas on the role of mankind and government and applied it to social issues and politics (used new scientific methods from the scientific revolution) Models of government produced were imitated in later constitutions (including U.S.)Challenged absolute monarchies who aligned themselves with the church (confusing when Pope and monarch divinely appointed – what happens when they disagree?)

Enlightened ThinkersPhilosophesRene Descartes – 1596-1650Jean-Jacques Rousseau – 1712-1778Voltaire – 1694-1778 Denis Diderot – 1713-1784Immanuel Kant – 1724-1804Thomas Hobbes – 1588-1679 John Locke – 1632-1704 Montesquieu – 1689-1755Adam Smith – 1737-1790Marquise de PompadourMary Wollstonecraft – 1759-1797

(add)

David Hume – philosopher that says desire rather than reason governs human behaviorEdward Gibbon – criticizes Christianity Cesare Beccaria – one of the first to condemn death penalty and torture

Enlightened MonarchsUsed enlightened ideas (often combined with absolute rule)

Toleration Justice Improvement of people’s lives

Examples

Frederick II of Prussia Catherine the Great of Russia Maria Theresa of Austria Joseph II of Austria1. Give examples of how they initiated “enlightened reform” within their respective

realms (pp.615-621)2. What overall effect did the Enlightenment have on France ? (summarize pp.

622-623)3. What was the overall influence of the Enlightenment ? (summarize pp. 623)

Thoughtful Exercises to Help You Achieve “Enlightenment”Which “philosophes” or other

enlightenment thinkers influenced each of the “enlightened absolutes”?

Say What?

Identify which enlightened thinker would have said the following:

“Dare to Know”

“I think, therefore I am”

The mind is a “tabula rasa”

“Ecrasez l’ infame!”(crush the horrible

thing!)

“All men are born free, but everywhere they are in

chains”

it should be operated by and “invisible hand”

We should then love them with true affections,

because we should learn to respect ourselves”

“it’s against natural law”

“life is nasty, brutish and short”