Scientific Revolution as a Revolutionary Process Essay Example

(Harman et al p.).

115). The belief held by many people was that the Bible, clergy men, priests, as well as ancient leaders and their families were the ultimate solutions to all the world's problems. This mindset persisted until the scientific revolution of the 16th century, when a group of scientists started to dissent and hold different views.

Rene Descartes introduced the concept of "deductive reasoning" also known as the "top-down method". This method allowed scientists to approach various issues based on their underlying causes. In this approach, scientists utilized theories or general statements to derive testable hypotheses. Through testing and experimentation, observations were made, leading to the outcomes of the experiments and tests. Ultimately, these outcomes led to a conclusion (Harman et al p.).

113). The process of forming conclusions in this method involves using and comparing them to the initial theory to confirm and verify it. This approach contradicted the previous, more traditional methods where decisions and conclusions were made based on the ideologies of authorities and religion. On the opposing side was Francis Bacon.

He advocated for scientists to abandon the manipulation and preconceptions that stemmed from religion and old authorities (Casadevall et al p. 32). They should discard ideologies and reasoning that had been embraced in the past. To address these concerns, the Baconian Method, also known as inductive reasoning or the bottom-up method, was developed. Scientists would observe events, create a general theory, and then draw logical conclusions. Thus, it was valuable to reassess and rethink the reasoning process based on concrete evidence, even if one had prior knowledge in a specific field.

Both Descartes and Francis Bacon's discoveries were the foundation for the

scientific revolution. They advocated for critical thinking based on evidence and rigorous testing. Rather than blindly accepting the ideas of past authorities, conclusions and predictions were based on empirical findings. In the past, people commonly placed unquestionable faith in traditional authorities, resulting in dictatorship, feudalism, violation of rights, and slavery. However, the scientific revolution prompted individuals to think for themselves, leading to significant societal changes (Casadevall et al. p.).

People around the world, from Europe to America, began to question their positions in society and understand the importance of democratic leadership. Education and various campaigns helped enlighten individuals about their human rights, leading to increased opposition towards slavery and bureaucracy. Consequently, cases of civil unrest and human rights campaigns started to occur more frequently.

During the Protestant Reformation, people rejected the strict rules enforced by the Roman Catholic Church, leading to religious divisions and a desire for social equality across Europe and other regions.

Before the scientific revolution, it was widely believed that the Earth was at the center of the universe and all celestial bodies revolved around it. Since no one had explored space back then, challenging or questioning this idea was difficult.

During this period, two contrasting ideas emerged about the universe's structure - geocentrism and heliocentrism. Geocentrism, backed by religion, suggested that all events in the universe revolve around Earth as its focal point. In contrast, heliocentrism, introduced by mathematician Copernicus, posited that the sun is the actual center of the universe with all other celestial bodies orbiting it.

Despite lacking concrete evidence, the initial idea failed to persuade the public. However, Johannes Kepler proposed a subsequent notion that planetary movements are regulated by an orbit, specifically

with the Earth revolving around the Sun. The occurrence of distinct seasons throughout the year provided support for this concept (Casadevall et al p. 45).

The seasons are controlled by the sun as the earth seeks shelter from its rays. The laws of physics and astronomy, which bear his name, continue to be utilized in modern times. Isaac Newton followed suit and presented compelling evidence for heliocentrism. He introduced laws regarding gravity and motion that elucidate the factors influencing movement in objects of different magnitudes.

Isaac Newton postulated that in the universe or space, there is a force of attraction between two bodies. This force is proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them (Harman et al p. 133). It offers an explanation for why celestial bodies like the sun do not collide with the earth, allowing it to stay in its orbit. These forces, as per Newton's laws, govern the movement of symmetrical bodies in space.

The laws of modern science and physics have brought freedom from old ideas and misunderstandings about earth, seasons, the sun, and forces of space. These brilliant scientists have embraced and applied the laws of physics to revolutionize human thought. Gravitational laws and laws of motion are still employed in astronomy, while other laws have contributed to the creation of mathematics, the progress of physics as a discipline, and breakthroughs in astronomy.

According to Casadevall et al (p. 45), the scientific era is depicted as a revolution. Prior to the emergence of these scientists, aspects such as medicine, weather forecasting, leadership, human rights, and matters of life and death were primarily guided by ancient methods that

lacked critical thinking and experimentation.

During the scientific revolution, people's mindset shifted from passively accepting events to actively exploring and understanding them. Previously, individuals relied on religion and ancient leaders for guidance. However, the advent of science brought about a change in this perspective. Scientists began conducting research and experiments to uncover the reasons behind various phenomena. Through this process, people gained the ability to experiment and logically reason based on factual evidence. Concurrently, scientists developed laws and theories that greatly contributed to education and the exploration of previously uncharted fields.

During the scientific revolution era, various fields including biology, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and astronomy emerged. This led to an increased focus on education and a departure from previous beliefs. Additionally, this era witnessed significant scientific breakthroughs such as the formulation of laws pertaining to gravity and motion as well as the understanding of earth's orbit. In essence, the scientific revolution era was characterized by profound transformation that effectively shifted society from traditional thought patterns to modern science and rationality.

Despite the lengthy time span of nearly three centuries, the outcomes resulting from the scientific revolution have endured. This breakthrough facilitated advancements in space exploration, as well as contributing to industrialization, farming, and medicine through the application of scientific principles and discoveries.

Work Cited

1. Casadevall, Arturo, and Ferric C. Fang. "Revolutionary Science." mBio 7.2 (2016): e00158-16. Harman, Peter. The scientific revolution. Vol.

Routledge, 2013.