The Scientific Revolution was an intellectual revolution occurring
in the seventeenth century. It started in Europe and all Western
civilization; eventually spreading throughout the rest of the world. The
revolution was based on sixteenth century breakthroughs and an interest in
the workings of the natural world. This was a time of many famous thinkers
and scientists. Such as Descartes, Galileo, Newton, Kepler, Bacon, and
Boyle. These are just a few; who along with many others established the
foundations for the modern sciences. They challenged the established
conception of the universe. This challenge was known as the Scientific
Revolution. The Scientific Revolution had three key elements. First, the
view of the universe being stable, fit, and finite, with the earth as its
center, and that the earth was one of the millions of bodies all subject to
the law of nature. Second, methoRAB that emphasized skepticism, rationalism,
and rigorous reasoning that were based on facts and mathematical laws,
replaced earlier methoRAB for proving beliefs. Such as referring to
traditional authorities such as Aristotle, Ptolemy, as well as the church.
Third, the general scientific orientation changed from theological
questioning to secular which focused on how things worked. these
developments were not very popular in Europe until the eighteenth century
when the ideas and methoRAB became known as part of the Enlightenment.
Philosophes, a group of thinkers, developed related ideas forming a basis
for modern thought. Emphasizing again skepticism, empirical reasoning, and
satire. People began believing that reasoning and education were bringing
Western civilization into enlightenment from a state of immaturity.
Without philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, Locke and Hobbes
where would we be today? Voltaire was instrumental in the enlightenment.
He spent much of hi life arguing for religious toleration and freedom of
thought. He was famous for his quote “ I do not believe a word you say but
I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Voltaire favored a
strong monarch, and thought that rulers should be strong but enlightened.
An enlightened monarch was a ruler who studied the science of government
and protected basic rights of people. Voltaire was the most famous of the
Philosophes. He wrote almost every type of literature, exhibiting most of
the main elements of the Enlightenment.
Jean Jacques Rousseau was also vital to the Enlightenment. He was
spokesman of the common people. He believed human nature was good, and
that society corrupted people. He thought social contract should be made
with each other and not with the king. Rousseau said, “Man is born free
and everywhere else is in chains.” He also argues that all people were
equal and all status and rank should be abolished. He thought tittles of
nobility should be abolished also. Rousseau admired the “noble savage” who
lived in a state of nature. He brought civilization together during the
enlightenment with his arguments.
John Locke also thought that all people were equal, and that all
people had natural rights; to life liberty and property. He had an
optimistic view o human nature; he thought people were basically reasonable
and cooperative. He saw government as contact between the ruler and the
ruled, and that a ruler could stay in power with the consent of the ruled.
He published Two Treaties on government in 1690. Government was
responsible for protecting rights, but power was limited. Locke shut down
the absolute rule of the government and gave the people more power.
Thomas Hobbes governed to establish order in society. He
contradicted Locke by saying the best government was one containing a ruler
with absolute power. He said people could not rebel if a leader became a
tyrant because of the contract in which they agreed to give up freedom to
ensure peace and order. Hobbes published hi ideas in Ceviathan in 1651.
In his work he described a state of nature which people had no laws or
government; he claimed that such a life would be “nasty, brutish and short.”
Many of the thinkers of this time disagreed with each other but overall
they brought unity to the people.
In conclusion, the enlightenment was very important in history
because of the positive changes which were developed by these Philosophes.
If this time period did not take place we may still be in the dark ages
today.
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