Krystal Leong

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

Astronomy
  • Copernicus
- On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres- contradicted Ptolemaic universe, heliocentric universe of 8 spheres, motionless sun at center, planets revolved around sun, moon revolved around Earth, daily rotation of Earth around sun
- Created uncertainty about human role in universe
· Brahe
- Compromised between Copernicus and Ptolemy, sun and planets revolve around Earth while other planets revolve around sun
· Kepler
- Interest in Hermetic thought and Neoplatonic magic
- Universe constructed on basis of geometric figures, confirmed heliocentric universe, three laws of planetary motion
· Galileo
- First to make observations by telescope
- The Starry Messenger- described discoveries of craters on the moon, Jupiter’s moons, phases of Venus, and sunspots
- Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican- defense of Copernican system
· Newton
- Invented calculus, investigated composition of light, laws of universal gravitation
- Principia- mathematical proofs of universal law of gravitation, elaborated 3 laws of motion, 3 laws govern planetary bodies and terrestrial objects
- Law of gravitation- every object is attracted to every other object with a force that is inversely proportional to the square distances between them

Medicine
· Galen
- Dissected goats, Four Humors were blood, yellow bile, phlegm, and black bile
· Paracelsus
- “like cures like”- poison that causes a disease would be its cure if used in proper form and quantity
· Vesalius
- On the Fabric of the Human Body- accurate descriptions of human anatomy from dissections
· Harvey
- On the Motion of the Heart and Blood, the heart was the beginning point of circulation

Women in Science
Cavendish
- Critical of belief that humans would be masters of nature through science
· Merian
- Studied plants and insects, detailed paintings of caterpillars
· Winkelmann
- Female astronomer, assistant at astronomical observatory operated in Berlin by Academy of Science, discovered the comet

Views of Humankind
· Descartes
- Deduced principals of existence of God and separation of mind and matter
- Discourse on Method- accepted his own existence
- Cartesian Dualism-absolute dualism between mind and body
· Bacon
- Scientific Method- inductive principles, correct generalizations could be developed through organized experiments and systematic observations
· Spinoza
- Jewish philosopher, opposed Descartes’ Cartesian dualism, said one could rationally explain human emotion
· Pascal
- Faith takes man further than reason alone