Rational Thought and Technological Advancement Essay

The Rationalism era, which is also known as “The Enlightenment” or “ The Age of Reasoning”, is an historic event that took place in eighteenth century in Western Europe, England and American Colonies. At this time, people went from thinking traditionally to thinking more rationally. Thoughts and actions went from religious based to more of a scientific approach. Not only is this an important era for American Literature but also for American History because this is when the Declaration Of Independance and The United States Constitution were written. Writers and readers took notice to “The Enlightenment” and started the historic event, we know today as the “The Age of Reasoning”.

During the Scientific Revolution scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, Descartes and Bacon wrestled with questions about God, human aptitude, and the possibilities of understanding the world. Eventually, the implications of the new scientific findings began to affect the way people thought and behaved throughout Europe. Society began to question the authority of traditional knowledge about the universe. This in turn, allowed them to question traditional views of the state and social order. No longer was the world constructed as the somewhat simple Ptolemaic Model suggested. The Earth for the first time became explicable and was no longer the center of the universe. Many beliefs that had been held for hundreds of years now proved to be

Throughout history there have been many different movements that have shape society into what it is today. In the Pre-modern Era (1450-1750) idea to challenge the traditional institution such catholic or absolute theory, was becoming a bigger factor day by day. This idea gave people more individual right and freedom. In the 1540-1690 the scientific revolution was one of those movements that change the mind of many people. This revolution gave a voice to society to speak about their opinions on space, communities and many more things.

During the 14th century, reforms in culture began developing and eventually led to the rebirth of society. In the Renaissance, people began to shift their focus on the advancements of the individual and human society as a whole. These secular views led people to becoming more educated and break off from the corrupt church. This is the spark of what led into the Scientific Revolution because people wanted to expand their knowledge in a greater procedure. People started to use empiricism in their scientific methods to reach a final decision. This is also known as the Age of Reason, even though people are skeptical of all things that are unproven by mathematics and science. Both religious and political institutions were led by supporters of the development and advancement of science, considering that it would benefit in furthering their position and political interests. WIthin reason, society still had limitations on the ability of people to speak freely of their ideas and be taken seriously.

Tits The Scientific Revolution of the fifteen and sixteen hundreds heralded the progression towards a new era of rational and mathematical thinking. Instead of relying on the ideas of the ancient Greeks as Renaissance philosophers did, the contributors of the Scientific Revolution began to look to the world around them for answers. The scientists and philosophers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were surrounded by an amalgam of social, political, and religious factors that would influence the method in which they introduced their theories and findings to the world. These factors often supported and promoted the growth of the Sciences, but only when they adhered to the motives of a higher power. Oftentimes, scientific inquiry was suppressed by powerful forces determined to maintain their grip

Rational thought is given to all of us it is up to us what we do with it part of that is challenging what we are told and not just rolling over in acceptance of what has been put in front of us. Appling the Enlightenments teachings to how we see the world can help us and future generations to live without turning a blind eye to actions that we know to be wrong. Technological development has come a long way from what it was but has only made it to where it is now due to past accomplishment from those that came before us. It is only because of what we know from what we have been taught that allows us to grow and move on to the next level of technology. It is because of these reasons that the past technological developments that were made makes this subject modern, because without them we could not be where we are today.

During the 1920s there are very many technological advancements you may not be able to count them all. While some are way more prolific than others i will share some that are the greatest known to man and some that you now might take for granted. This period of advancements came right after WWI. Many scientists were in overdrive for the war during this time which helped to contribute to the innovative power of the 20s and 30s. Not all of these advancements were useful but were still very clever. now here are just a few of these inventions that i think are important or clever.

The Scientific revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries changed the way that people views the world. Scientific philosophers such as Galileo and Descartes threw out the old teachings of the church and challenged them with new ways of thinking. These men sought to prove that rational thought could prove the existence of God. They also challenged that it was an understanding of a series of rational thoughts, not faith, would bring understanding of how the world worked. Traditional ways of thinking were ultimately challenged by logical and sensible rationale.

Improvements in agriculture, transportation, and communication between 1790 and 1860 were the stepping stones for a greater America. From the cotton gin, to the steamboat, to the telegraph, new innovations were appearing all over. America had finally begun to spread its wings and fly.

Many ideas of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment influenced the start and course of the 1789 French Revolution. The Scientific Revolution started the age of reason by inventing many new scientific inventions such as the telescope. The Enlightenment continued the humanistic age of reason by incorporating reason into the government and society. The movements also greatly affected the social and political problems of the time (Spielvogel 478, 500).

There were two key inventions that had a huge impact on the Industrial Revolution. John Kay, an English engineer invented the flying shuttle. They flying shuttle was a machine that made cotton workers capable of weaving much faster. Kay received the patent for the flying shuttle on May 26, 1733. Thirty-one years late in 1764, an English carpenter name James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny. This machine multiplied the amount of yarn produced. The only setback was that the spinning jenny produced only one type of yarn needed for weaving (Bruno 158). Then another inventor, Richard Arkwright, made the water frame. This invention made it possible to produce the other type of yarn needed and required much waterpower. The new spinning machine that Arkwright invented was made of a frame, which was too large and too expensive to fit in a small cottage. In The Timetable of Technology, it states that Arkwright is the founder of the modern factory. He is named the founder because he built a house for his new water frame, and then employed one thousand people to work the spinning machine. This new factory started operating in

Technological determinism is a term developed by Marshal McLuhan, a theorist in the study of new media. By technological determinism, McLuhan refers to technology having the power to change societies and influence our cultures. In this essay I will argue that technology does have the power to change society and influence a civilization, using ideas put forward by Marshal McLuhan. I will also discuss the debate around technological determinism recognizing the claims made by Raymond Williams that society shapes technology as we look back at its emergence and their subsequent control.

Every day the world is changing and things are done differently. Technology has also affected the way students are taught and in which they learn. It has changed the classroom. Technology saves us time and allows us to access material in only minutes. “The Internet and online subscription databases, even as a supplement to the printed works in the library, allow students to see, and force them to consider or reject, points of view that they might never have encountered in decades past” (Gow 4).With all the time technology produces, it also has downsides and it also may have created a less intelligent society.

The idea using the power of steam to our advantage goes back nearly twenty-one centuries. A learned writer in ancient Alexandria, named Hero, wrote a manuscript describing various devices and ideas of the time. Although it is not proven that Hero was the inventor of any of these devices, he is given credit for the earliest mention of steam power. Hero describes a method to open the doors of a temple with the action of a fire on the alter at the front of the temple. A series of pipes runs between the alter and the temple doors. The force of the steam created by the fire on the alter is strong enough to open the temple doors. The essential principle that Hero used was to change heat energy into mechanical energy or work. Supposedly, Hero continued his work and ended up creating what is often called the "First Steam Engine." Hero's engine is featured on below on the right. The cauldron or bowl like portion AB holds water. There is a steam tight cover place over top of the cauldron. Two pipes extend from the lid and suspend a globe directly above the cauldron. The water is heated, causing steam to be created and forced through the pipes. The globe then fills with steam. Pipes K and H are located on opposite sides of the globe and allow the steam to escape when the pressure becomes uneven. The escaping steam then causes the globe to spin on its axis.

Regina Fleck has an iPhone 7 and she admits, “I no longer feel frustrated or impatient. That emotion now manifests in me as a desire to check my e-mail." (Tran). All around the world, technology has taken over the lives of many, especially children. Each year younger children are being introduced to new technology to help them learn and grow, but the effects of this may be different from what is expected. Rather than seeing growth, the overuse of technology is leading to many issues, including a decline in creativity, less active lifestyles, and difficulty falling asleep. The growing overdependence on and overuse of technology is affecting young children both mentally and physically.