01:510:102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Platonism, Nicolaus Copernicus, Scientific Revolution
12 May 2018
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Chapter 17 - The Scientific and Commercial Revolutions
17th Century development of modern science and physics
• Scientific Revolution was the profound change of the 17th Century
1. Europeans began to challenge classical thought
2. Characteristics of the Scientific Revolution
• Materialistic: all matter made up of the same material
1. subject to the same laws
• Mathematical: use calculation to replace common sense
1. measurable, repeatable phenomena
1. People began to understand the mathematical nature of the
universe
• Science boils down to the mathematical relationship
1. Development of scientific institutions began
• Labs, universities, journals, language, careers
Scientific Revolution = social organizations + scientific understanding
Science as a social institution:
• Early science was restricted to the relatively small number of
universities and as a “hobby” of the wealthy (leisure activity)
1. ie. University and Alchemy
of Padua
• Patronage system:
1. Early scientists relied heavily upon wealthy patrons to support
their work
• Patrons ultimately decide direction of early science
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1. Development of a strict system of social hierarchy and deference
in the early scientific community
2. Legitimacy depended on the acceptance of the community (lack
of math)
• At first the concepts of cooperation and collaboration completely foreign
1. Disagreements of science almost always became personal
Social Institutions:
Universities
Curriculums
• Arts: equivalent to high school ed
1. Trivium: grammar, rhetoric and dialelic (logic)
2. Quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music (all math
based)
• lightly regarded, until the introduction of algebra (precursor
to psychics)
• Algebra intro. In the 13th Century
• Theology: Main reason for the founding of universities
1. heart of universities
• Law: Canon
• Medicine: purely theoretical in nature
1. physical science was only a "sideline"
2. Anatomy was introduced in the 16th Century
3. Chemistry and pharmacology was rejected by most universities,
debate centered on the acceptance of the scientific methodology
Summation: Universities were poorly equipped to train scientists
• Universities provided a space for the Scientific Revolution to begin but
not grow and develop. Scientist training turns to academies and other
social institutions
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Academies:
Academy: "clubs for people who wanted to live in the ancient world"
• began as classists who developed a curiosity about the ancient world
• Began to collect antiquities, interests continued to grow and develop
into a curiosity about their world
• Accept the use of technology to understand their world
1. Develop into collections of PEOPLE who share the value of ideas
and a questioning of their world
2. These people were truly bizarre and strange individuals who
enjoyed being different (Newton)
Academies solved practical problems of their world:
• Funding
• Reputation: seal of approval from the group to ensure that you were a
legitimate scientist
• Review: Quality control on experiments, data and theorization
• Communication of data, theories and ideas
1. proceedings (published journals) and correspondence (secretary)
spread findings and ideas
2. Provided the crucial link between scientists
Impact of Academies:
• development of civil discourse among scientists
• Communication / networking of scientific discovery
• Secretary was a key leader of academies
• Academy press
Alchemy:
• bizarre attempt at changing base metals into gold
• important because they were the first to emphasize experimentation and
technology
Adepts
Philosophers
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 17 - the scientific and commercial revolutions. Scientific revolution = social organizations + scientific understanding. Curriculums: arts: equivalent to high school ed, trivium: grammar, rhetoric and dialelic (logic, quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music (all math based) lightly regarded, until the introduction of algebra (precursor to psychics, algebra intro. Summation: universities were poorly equipped to train scientists: universities provided a space for the scientific revolution to begin but not grow and develop. Scientist training turns to academies and other social institutions. Impact of academies: development of civil discourse among scientists, communication / networking of scientific discovery, secretary was a key leader of academies, academy press. Alchemy: bizarre attempt at changing base metals into gold important because they were the first to emphasize experimentation and technology. Bacon and boyal brought them more into the mainstream. Basis of the scientific revolution: conflicting classical sources, examination / focus of renaissance artists on nature, development of technical skills, use of mathematics to understand nature.
