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The Leading Thinkers of the Scientific Revolution in Europe and the Enlightenment Era

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Who were the leading thinkers of the Scientific Revolution? Why were the early discoveries of the scientific revolution met with such resistance? Why did the Scientific Revolution occur in Europe and not in the Islamic, Chinese or Japanese cultures? Why and how did these discoveries destroy an old worldview and create a new one? How did their ideas influence the Enlightenment?

Some of the major thinkers of the scientific revolution are Galileo and Isaac Newton. The Scientific revolution started to take place around the fifteenth century. Three great scientist Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton overturned the descriptive science. This science called descriptive science which was created by Aristotle. Around the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries they replaces it with the mathematical new science. Before an individual can look at the reason the scientific revolution was met with some resistance they need to first view the ideas that came out of this time.

According to Aristotle all the objects that make up the items earth are from the four elements earth, water, fire and air. This theory collapsed during the Renaissance. The individual that was known to destroying this theory was Nicolaus Copernicus. He was born the year of 1473 and passed away in 1543. He is from the German city called Torun. Nicolaus Copernicus started his studying at the University of Krakow. He then started to study canon law, medicine, astronomy and astrology. Which is a battle with religions of this time. In Rome he started to teach mathematics. The next individual that contributed to this great time in history was Galileo. Galileo was responsible for his mathematical law of descending bodies. Galileo also was the first-rate astronomer. He was also responsible for being one of the first to use a telescope.

All of these great men brought something great to humanity but they were rejecting during this time. One of the reasons can be answered with one question what every human, every great civilization, country has struggled with answering. Where did I come from? Who created me? Who created the universe? During this time in history the religion would help people answer those questions. When the New Science age was in the making it changed the way people could answer those questions. Instead of looking to the church individuals had the ability to start looking for answers with the great creation of science. This was causing resistance.

The reason the Scientific Revolution took place in Europe and not the Islamic, Chinese or Japanese cultures is the same reason it was being rejected. The other great civilizations Islamic, Chinese and Japanese cultures had strong roots of religion in their heritage. In places of Europe it was also rejected because of the Catholic and Protestant establishments. Many people in this time did not have a need to turn to science because the religion of their culture/government would have the ability to give all the answers they would need. They were told where they came from, how they got here and where they were going. Many individuals outside of the European countries did not need science to help them answer these questions. They already had the ability to do so.

These new discoveries destroyed the idea that religion and the government had the ability to give the citizens the answers that they wanted. The old worldview was that the government and church would have the ability to tell people where they came from and limited science. During this time in history an individual started to see a breakdown of the system. In England an individual started to see a dispute over the dominance of Protestant or Catholic authority. The new view was individuals for the first time had the ability to share ideas of the creation of humanity, innovative and new ideas like the telescope and bring about new ways of thinking. The great scientist of the scientific revolution did it and now everyone started to have the ability to bring a new way of life.

The ideas of this time had a great influence of the enlightenment. With new innovations like the telescope and the new ideas in mathematics medicine, cannon law, astronomy, and astrology the enlightenment period was beginning. These items gave individuals the tools they need to excel during the enlightenment period. There ideas gave women the ability to contribute the science for the first time. Sophie Brahe, Tycho Brahe and Maria Cunitz all were the first to contribute to the new astrology. Also some ideas that come from this time was social salons, discovery of the vacuum and the steam engine.

How and why was the rise of the Ottomans tied to the decline of the Byzantines? Why were Ottomans so powerful in this period? What were the implications for the region in terms of trade, economics military expansions and exploration? The rise of the Ottomans is directly tied to the decline of the Byzantines. This cycle can be seen with two men. Balkan Slavs and Anatolian Turks are responsible for reducing their empire around the thirteenth century. Around 1299 a clan was started with Osman. He also had an Islamic holy warriors. At this time Osman declared himself an independent ruler over the Byzantines. Later on in the fourteenth century Ottomans became the most powerful leader because they had the ability to conquer further land and items from Byzantium.

One of the major reasons that the Ottomans were so powerful in this period was the fact that they had conquered so much land. They had 100 forts and castles and also had a peninsula. With so much land they would have a much greater military advantage over the Byzantines. The Ottomans did see a decline in there empire. Around the sixteenth century the Ottoman Empire grew into what some say was 15 million inhabinaties. The Ottoman Empire was a great and vast empire. Like stated before they had conquered great parts of land. “Algeria in the Maghreb to Yemen in Arabia and from Upper Egypt to the Balkans and the northern shores of the Black Sea.” (Page 445, Patterns of world History) This would give the Ottomans great control over the Byzantines.

The great Ottomans had little cash on hand to have the ability to pay the military. The Ottomans did not pay their military with cash instead they would pay the military with parcels if conquered land, or land grants. This would give people the ability to explore more land and come with positive contributions to humanity. The Ottomans did need revenue to have the ability to run their government. In order to have an income to support their government they turned to silver, lead, and iron mines of Serbia and Bosnia.

Nevertheless one of the largest tax income for the Ottomans is the tax-farming. They would make a profit off of metals, salt, saltpeter and other minerals. This was the main introduction to the cash flow for the military. This would also give the Ottomans the ability to trade goods. The more they could trade the larger the economy would get. This would give the Ottomans the ability to grow the size of their military with a larger cash flow giving them the ability to take over new lands and fight off future enemies.

Many great ideas come out of Europe around 1800. With the Renaissance, Reformation and new science in Europe it was a time of hope and change. During this time individuals started to think on themselves instead of looking to the church and religion. When viewing many counties in Europe you see much civil war during the mid-1500s. France, Dutch and England where all fighting in some type of war around the 1500s. By the time of 1800s individuals where coming out of war wanting peace and new ideas. The old system started to break down with the civil wars creating a new system of economic, technological and military power.

Many of the past civilizations had broken down before the European power. The Europe civilization had the ability to look at past civilizations and decide what works and what failed with other civilizations and countries. This lead those to have the ability to use that worked and to not make the same errors that other countries had done.

Another reason for Europe and European power to get ahead of other countries is to great working scientist during the new science age. With Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton these great men contributed great ideas to the European governments. Because of these great mean others had the ability to innovate great ideas to Europe. With Evangelista Torricelli creating the vacuum and Denis Papin creating the steam engine. The steam engine gave Europe the ability to grow its economy and military. It could be used to ship goods from different places and used to transport the military. Without these great ideas and great men that helped contribute to this time individuals would of never seen Europe and European become a great power in economic, technological and military power that it had become.

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The Leading Thinkers of the Scientific Revolution in Europe and the Enlightenment Era. (2022, Dec 07). Retrieved from https://samploon.com/the-leading-thinkers-of-the-scientific-revolution-in-europe-and-the-enlightenment-era/

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