Intellectual Revolution Overview

Study Notes

Refers to a significant transformation that alters conventional thinking or practices.
Introduces new perspectives replacing traditional methods.

Characterized by incremental contributions from scientists working within an established paradigm.
Marked advancements in various scientific fields.

Initiated during the early modern period impacting mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry.
Fundamental change in scientific views and substantial support for investigation.
Considered the most important era of scientific discovery in history.
Emergence of modern science in Europe at the end of the Renaissance.

Fundamental shift in astronomy and cosmology.
Geocentric model, where Earth was the center, was previously dominated by Aristotle and Ptolemy.
Heliocentrism proposed by Aristarchus and later supported by Nicolaus Copernicus in “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres.”
Validated by comets and planetary motion, leading to the acceptance of heliocentrism.
Key figures:
- Johannes Kepler: Formulated laws of planetary motion and moved towards elliptical orbits.
- Galileo Galilei: Telescopic discoveries challenged conventional beliefs, noted in “The Starry Messenger.”
- Isaac Newton: Unified theories of gravity and motion supporting heliocentrism; established foundational physics principles.

Introduced by Charles Darwin through the "Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection."
Explained the adaptation and evolution of populations according to environmental conditions, replacing earlier creationist views.
Published “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, impacting societal beliefs about life's origins.