The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment Periods

Introduction

The period marked by significant changes, is the eighteenth century or an age of Enlightenment. Although present throughout Europe, the origins of the Enlightenment are closely associated with France and its philosophers such as Voltaire, Rousseau and others. The Enlightenment has been fostered by the remarkable discoveries of the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. It was during this period that the ideas of the Scientific Revolution were spread and popularized by the philosophers (intellectuals of the 18th century).

Reason - was the word used the most frequently during the Enlightenment; it meant a scientific method, which appealed to facts and experiences. It was the age of the reexamination of all aspects of life, a movement of the intellectuals "who dared to know" and who were arguing for the application of the scientific methods to the understanding of all life. For these intellectuals it was also a recovery from the 'darkness' since all that could not be tested and proved by the rational and scientific methods of thinking was darkness. Blind trust and acceptance was darkness, while reason, knowledge and examination - was the 'light' that would lead to a progress and better society.

Thesis Statement

The Enlightenment did not know much of the scientific discoveries, but it was the age when the scientific ideas of the Scientific Revolution were popularized.

Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment Periods

Born out of the Scientific Revolution was the Enlightenment, which applied the scientific method developed during the seventeenth century to human behavior and society during the eighteenth century. The Scientific Revolution influenced the development of the Enlightenment values of individualism because it demonstrated the power of the human mind. The ability of scientists to come to their own conclusions rather than deferring to instilled authority confirmed the capabilities and worth of the individual. The power of human beings to discern truth through reasoning influenced the development of the Enlightenment value of rationalism. Such influences, combined with the decreasing reliance on the traditional teachings of the Church, led to a period of philosophical activity unparalleled in modern times.

Scientific ideas were not spread so much by the scientists themselves, but by such individuals as B. de Fontenelle (1657-1757). He was secretary of the French Royal Academy of Science (1691-1741) and contributed a lot to the communication of the scientific discoveries especially in astronomy. This was not easy. "Life was nasty, brutish, and short," said Hobbes. When things got nasty (if two people wanted the same thing, it could get ugly) they entered into a social contract: entering society, giving up some freedoms in exchange for protection of life and property.

Most thinkers thought the fewer the rules, the better. Protect life and property, but leave natural freedoms intact. There were arguments about government Voltaire and Hobbes wanted absolute monarchy. Rosseau wanted Democracy. Montesquieu, Jefferson, and Locke wanted separation of power and constitutional checks on the monarchy.

Galileo was an Italian mathematics teacher, astronomer and physicist, and one of the first true scientists. Galileo learned that a pendulum took ...