Preview

The 16th Century Ideas That Echo Through Modern Science

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3154 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The 16th Century Ideas That Echo Through Modern Science
The 16th Century Ideas That Echo Through Modern Science “The history of science is part of the history of mankind. It is a record of one aspect of the human struggle to achieve security and certainty in an ever-changing universe.” (Levy, 3) Science is an ever expanding subject and reaches out into almost every aspect of our lives. Before the sixteenth-century science as we know it did not exist. Natural philosophy, and astronomy were the main focus of the time. These two fields were highly based on observation and theory. Throughout all of history man has used science to change the world around him. The thinkers of the sixteenth-century established the foundation for modern science. All theoretical scientists must all have a similar way of thinking. The key is doubt - an inclination not to believe or accept (Webster Dictionary). Descartes was one of the first philosophers to use a systematic skepticism when analyzing the works of others. Simply put, Descartes doubted the ideas around him. Richard Feynman seems to have a similar way of thinking. He says, “Once you start doubting, which I think, to me is a very fundamental part of my … soul, is to doubt and to ask. When you doubt and ask it gets a little harder to believe.”(Feynman) Doubt must have been a fundamental belief that the sixteenth-century thinkers had. For science to advance it is imperative that scientists approach an issue with doubt and questions. One of the people at the start of history, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), a pioneer in logic, metaphysics, ethics, natural sciences, politics, and poetics, profoundly influenced Western thought. He firmly believed that terrestrial bodies naturally move towards the earth (which he alleged was located at the center of the universe). He also claimed there was an unnatural violent motion that moved away from the earth. This view of natural and unnatural motion fit agreeably with the Churches view of good and evil. Claudius Ptolemy (85-165 A.D.) an


Bibliography: Caspar, Max. Kepler. London: Abelard-Schuman, 1959. Print. Di, Canzio Albert. Galileo: His Science and His Significance for the Future of Man. Portsmouth, NH: ADASI Pub., 1996. Print. "Doubt - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubt?show=1>. Feynman, Richard. "Richard Feynman on God." Youtube.com. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YltEym9H0x4>. Feynman, Richard. "Richard Feynman - The Relation of Mathematics and Physics - Part 4." Youtube. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNI1HxJDxjc>. Heilbron, J. L. Galileo. Oxford [England: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Hunter, Keith M. "Johannes Kepler: The 2nd Law: Equal Areas over Equal Time." Ancient World Mysteries Decoded. The Esoteric Knowledge of a Lost Age. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ancient-world-mysteries.com/kepler-equal-areas-law.html>. *Not all sources were directly cited but had a significant influence on the paper.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ap European History Unit 4.1 Summary
    • 6756 Words
    • 28 Pages

    Ap European History Unit 4.1 Summary

    Superstition played major role in the lives of the people 5. Scientific thought in the early-16th century was still based on Medieval ideas a. Views about the universe were largely influenced by the ancient ideas of Aristotle b. The geocentric view held that the earth was the center of a static, motionless universe c. Science was essentially a branch of theology B. Causes of the Scientific Revolution 1. Medieval…

    • 6756 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Sir Thomas Bacon Justify The Scientific Revolution?
    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Did Sir Thomas Bacon Justify The Scientific Revolution?

    Throughout the Scientific Revolution was a progressive movement that that place in the 16th and 17th century. Scientist and Philosophers would have to reexamine traditionally held values. Nowhere is this best exemplified as is in the reshaping of the European view of the universe. Since the Middle Ages the Catholic Church had followed the Ptolemaic model of the universe, a geocentralized solar system where the Earth is orbited by the various planets in regular, crystalline spheres. The Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus, however, presented a system where the sun was the center of the solar system, thereby solving numerous mathematical problems encountered at the time. German astronomer Johannes Kepler further championed Copernicanism by discovering that the path of the planets' orbits is elliptical rather than circular, as was previously thought. English physicist Sir Isaac Newton would later justify this theory by establishing his laws of gravity.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Galileo Accomplishments
    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Galileo Accomplishments

    Whenever history is reviewed on Astronomy, great Scientists such as Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei must be mentioned for their great contribution in the world of Astronomy. Comparing Copernicus with Galileo, we see that Copernicus made great discoveries which Galileo would later use in making his scientific discoveries and proofs. Copernicus is regarded to as the father of Astronomy because of his great contribution towards making the universe understandable to many people. This essay focuses on major accomplishments of Nicholas Copernicus and how Galilei Galileo used them later to become successful scientist explorer.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Did Galileo Contribute To The Scientific Revolution
    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Galileo Contribute To The Scientific Revolution

    According to the quote shown Galileo was an excellent scientist that explored many different fields. He started the exploration of modern physics and the explanation of it. Because of him, Isaac Newton was able to dig deeper into the field and learn more about the idea of physics. Without any of Galileo's work on physics, it would turn out deeper and people would and could have thought differently on this topic. Throughout the Scientific Revolution, Galileo was the best scientist for many…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Scientific Revolution Dbq
    • 1563 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Scientific Revolution Dbq

    Avid exploration helped to usher the study of nature to the forefront of the 18th and 19th centuries, as scientists examined diverse locations around the world as compared to what was already known. Utilizing newly learned methodology, old myths were debunked and new ideas were put in front of the public. These new contrary ideas were not only growing in the field of science, but also flowed over into the realms of religion, the arts, politics and the social ways of all citizens. The scientific movement in the 18th century was a critical part of history, as it ushered in some of the most important scientific finds built upon the discoveries of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as Bacon’s scientific method and Galileo’s astronomy research. The…

    • 1563 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Kepler: Scripture vs Astronomy
    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Kepler: Scripture vs Astronomy

    Kepler was born on December 27,1571 in Wurtenburg, Germany to well known, but not wealthy family. As he grew up, his talents were recognized at a young age and he received a scholarship to the University of Tubingen in order to become a Lutheran minister (Donahue ix). During this time in the 16th century, all Lutherans were required to sign a statement of faith called the Formula of Concord, but Kepler was not able to bring himself to endorse this document (Barker 96). Because all Lutheran ministers were required to subscribe to the formula of Concord, Kepler’s brave decision changed his career path. The consequences of Kepler’s choice was to either become a Catholic, or flee the city and leave everything behind. In 1594, Kepler took an assignment of teaching high school mathematics in Styria, Austria (Barker 96). While teaching, he was able to begin researching and writing his first book, Mysterium Cosmographicum, which was published in 1596 (Donahue ix). Kepler’s first book, translated to mean “Sacred Mysteries of the Cosmos,” drew the attention of a prominent astronomer of the time, Tycho Brahe. Impressed by Kepler’s knowledge, Tycho Brahe…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Describe the Scientific Advances of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries and Their Impact on Society
    • 4444 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Describe the Scientific Advances of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries and Their Impact on Society

    “The scientific revolution was a period in history beginning in the late 1500s when scientific ideas began to be consciously put to use by European society. It is generally thought to have begun with a book, On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543.”…

    • 4444 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Galileo Galiei Culture Hero
    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Galileo Galiei Culture Hero

    On the night of February 15, 1564, my parents held me, the first of their six children, for the first time. My father, Vincenzo Galilei, was well known in my birth city, Pisa, for his lute playing and musical theories. My mother, Giulia Ammannati, held me on my first night out of the womb and softened my cries by whispering my name, Galileo Galilei, over and over again. A few years later, when I reached the age of ten, my family packed up all of our belongings and moved to Florence, Italy. The year of 1574 I began my formal schooling at the nearby Camaldolese monastery in Vallombrosa. After completing my education at the monastery, I wished to continue learning. In 1583, I began attending the University of Pisa to study medicine. However, studying the subject of medicine was not enough for me. I became enamoured with mathematics and loved physics so I switched my major, much to my father’s dismay. At the university, I was exposed to the Aristotelian views of the world, which, at the time, were considered correct and were approved of by the Roman Catholic Church. However, my time at the university was sadly cut short due to financial struggles in 1585 and I never received my diploma (“Galileo”, The Biography Channel website).…

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Johannes Kepler Research Paper
    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Johannes Kepler Research Paper

    Kepler's second law is called the Law of Equal Areas or the Law of Areas. This law states the closer a planet is to the sun, the faster it orbits. The further the planet is away from the sun, the slower it orbits. The equation that is used for this law is C= r x r' = r x v. This law has been proven by going to space and by scientific calculation over…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Methuen Student Edition Of Life Of Galileo
    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Methuen Student Edition Of Life Of Galileo

    The Methuen Student Edition of Life of Galileo was written by Bertolt Brecht. This version was first published in 1968 by Methuen London Ltd. It portrays Galileo and how he has used his power of determination and resolution to prove his findings; which later contributed to the greater good of mankind in scientific ways. This is depicted in three different scenes and events. In it, Galileo is stripped of pride and dignity, even risking his life for his work. Galileo was the starting point that brought us to where we are now in terms of our scientific research and many other things. His stubbornness to prove his work and to prove that he himself was right has affected us in unimaginable ways.…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Scientific Revolution Summary
    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Scientific Revolution Summary

    Prior to the scientific revolution, the Old World view on science placed heavy emphasis on religion and had geocentric beliefs, meaning that it was widely believed that the Earth was the center of the universe. Then, the scientific revolution of the 17th century established a new view of the universe, reexamined the old theories, and emphasized natural philosophy and science. In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, a book which criticized the geocentric theory of the universe, challenged the Ptolemaic system and established a heliocentric model of the universe (the sun is the center of the universe). Then, Tycho Brahe continued the work on Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. Brahe’s research was then passed down to Johannes Kepler, who created the first astronomical model of a heliocentric universe. In 1609 Kepler published The New Astronomy, which stated that the paths of planets are elliptical, not circular, and proved Copernicus’ heliocentric theories. After Kepler came Galileo Galilei. He was the first to use a telescope, which he used to discover 4 moons around Jupiter, provided concrete evidence of a heliocentric universe, popularized the Copernican (heliocentric) system, and articulated the concept of a universe subject to mathematical laws, where all of nature is mathematical and mechanical. After that, Isaas Newton established the basis for physics and psychology, published Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy in 1687, discovered the laws of motion and universal gravitation, stated that every object is affected through gravity, and explained the movement of the planets. The scientific revolution was caused by: the establishment of universities, the Renaissance, expansion, improved technology, and the Reformation. The changing science influenced philosophers to use math and the language of machinery to explain the world. They compared the world to a clock and stated that humans can control and…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Astronomy in 16th and 17th Centuries and the Ways in Which It Changed Scientific Thinking and Methods
    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Astronomy in 16th and 17th Centuries and the Ways in Which It Changed Scientific Thinking and Methods

    In the sixteenth and seventeenth centaury in Europe there were was a scientific triumph that led to insight and new information of astronomy. Scientist such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and newton questioned the scientific methods of Ptolemy and Aristotle. These scientists changed the beliefs of their followers to create a more modern way of life.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    brecht
    • 2522 Words
    • 11 Pages

    brecht

    At the outset for Brecht, Galileo was an intellectual figure in history who outsmarted reactionary authority (the Inquisition), and pretending near blindness, completed his great scientific work, the Discorsi, and smuggled the manuscript out of Italy with the assistance of his pupil, Andrea Sarti. Thus, the individual's subversive political action against reactionary authority, Brecht con concluded causes a light to dawn in the darkness of his age. In the 1930's what commended the subject of Galileo to Brecht was be analogy between the seventeenth-century- scientist's underground activities against the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and those of the twentieth-century opponents to Hitler's Germany. In all…

    • 2522 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Life of Galileo
    • 1530 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Life of Galileo

    Throughout the course of history, from era to era, mankind has been on a continuous attempt to perpetuate what they perceive as the truth; and in doing so, embark on a quest to find their true identity and place in life. One must realize that the common theme in all literature is the search for identity and belonging. Bertolt Brecht, author of "The Life of Galileo," effectively uses the developing character Galileo Galilei to portray a strong message; a message which five hundred years after the fact has still not been completely comprehended. Through Galileo's continuous battle with the Church in prevailing his work, Brecht is telling the readers that in any one man's attempt to propagate the truth, whether it be in terms of literature, discoveries or new technologies, there is always an opposing power to suppress this new found truth. In doing so, it is through such opposing power against the search for truth which suppress our ability to think. In a sincere attempt to eliminate the common generalization that "Science is the devil", Brecht uses Galileo's external struggles such as those with the church. The writer also uses his personal internal struggles as a basis for developing Galileo's character to inform readers of the common yet false misconception of Science and the truth.…

    • 1530 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Impact of Mathematics on the Physical Sciences
    • 2261 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Impact of Mathematics on the Physical Sciences

    Many great mathematicians of the past had an impact on physical sciences. This paper will discuss the historical background, respective times, and contemporary and modern societal contributions of three of those mathematicians: Archimedes of Syracuse, Isaac Newton, and Leonhard Euler.…

    • 2261 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics