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Scientific Revolution And The Enlightenment

Decent Essays

An abstraction used by historians, the scientific revolution refers to the span of great emergence of modern science during the early modern period, which lasted roughly from 1540 to 1690. A noted historian has said that the scientific revolution was “the real origin both of the modern world and the modern mentality.” (McKay, Hill, Buckler, Crowston, Wiesner-Hanks, Perry, 2011). The scientific revolution transpired in Europe towards the end of the Renaissance period and continued through the late 18th century, influencing the intellectual social movement known as the Enlightenment. Nicolaus Copernicus' 1543 publication, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, translated as meaning: On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, is often quoted as …show more content…

Superstitions and fairy tales were thrown into the past and thus light began to shed on the minds of intellectuals, who, by testing their hypothesis’ came to the realization that they hold the truths of the mysteries of the Divine. Critical thinking was now being applied to scientific thinking and reasoning like never before. Aristotelian teachings were widely accepted, thus laying the building blocks for the establishment of the medieval university. Permanent universities with professors and substantial student bodies trained to become lawyers, doctors, and church leaders that society required. By the early fourteenth century philosophy had taken its place alongside law, medicine, and theology. Mathematics, astronomy, and physics were also added to the teachings of leading universities. These new areas of study were applied to describe the natural world, unlike before with Aristotle’s view being a commonsense explanation for what the eye saw and a link to the “Great Chain of Being”, but times were changing and thinkers of the time were eager to challenge or even prove Aristotle

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