Intellectual Revolutions That Defined Society PDF

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS THAT DEFINED SOCIETY Science, Technology & Society Lesson 2 Introduction on Intellectual Revolutions What is ‘Intellectual Revolution’? Intellectual revolutions can be defined as the historical changes In the thoughts, beliefs and social institutions due...

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS THAT DEFINED SOCIETY Science, Technology & Society Lesson 2 Introduction on Intellectual Revolutions What is ‘Intellectual Revolution’? Intellectual revolutions can be defined as the historical changes In the thoughts, beliefs and social institutions due to the new ideas and principles. When science and technology are the center of an intellectual revolution, it can be called a Scientific revolution. (Note: Scientific revolution may also refer to the historical period when science became more important and influential during The Middle Ages.) Introduction on Intellectual Revolutions In human history, there were three intellectuals who significantly changed the views about the world and humanity. They were Nicolaus Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) Copernicus was a Polish astronomer and mathematician, His heliocentric model of the universe proposed that the sun is the center of the universe. It opposed the geocentric model, which said that the Earth is the center of the universe, as proposed by Ptolemy and Aristotle and supported by the church. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) The heliocentric model states that the Sun is the center of the universe and the Earth is just one of the planets revolving around it. Although Copernicus’ work lacked mathematical and physical explanations and evidences, it was still considered significant for two reasons. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) First, before and during the time of Copernicus, astrology is more important than astronomy. We know today That astrology is not real science. In astrology, the Earth was considered a powerful, extraordinary celestial body that is the center of the universe. This was supported by the geocentric model of Ptolemy and Aristotle Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) Also, astrologers at that time needed to cast horoscopes and do other astrological activities in order to gain acceptance and support from the society and the Church. The society was dependent on horoscopes and astrological outputs. When Copernicus’ heliocentric theory gained acceptance, society started to change. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) Copernicus questioned the ideas of Ptolemy and Aristotle. His model suggested that the Earth is equal to the other planets and they all revolve around the Sun. This debunked the astrological view. People at that time began to question astrology and started to embrace more the-science of astronomy. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) The second significance of Copernicus’ work is that it laid the foundation for succeeding scientists to do revolutionary things. His successors were Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei. These scientists made it possible to understand and explain many phenomena in the universe in a mathematical way. Intellectual Revolution NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS (1473-1543) The findings of Copernicus, along with his successors changed the society’s view about astronomy. It became more acceptable. Galileo’s work made the telescope popular even for non- astronomers. This marked the beginnings of popular science and science fiction. Intellectual Revolution CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882) Charles Darwin was an English scientist whose works, Origin of Species and Decent of Man, discussed his ideas on the evolution of species and mankind. Darwin’s works were controversial especially to creationists and to the religious. Intellectual Revolution CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882) Darwin’s works suggested that humans are natural and are subject to the laws of science. During Darwin’s time, humans were treated as very special beings as compared to other organisms. It was as if humans were supernatural creations. Intellectual Revolution CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882) Darwin’s works also proposed that natural selection is the main rational behind humans’ current existence and attributes. He suggested that humans evolved from pre-existing organisms as opposed to the creationist view that God created humans. Intellectual Revolution CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882) Third, Darwin’s works suggested that humans are not so different versus other organisms – that humans, crabs, dogs, tree, worms and other organisms are equal. They are all species. From this thinking, Charles Darwin changed how society viewed humanity. Intellectual Revolution CHARLES DARWIN (1809-1882) Even though Darwin’s works were controversial, his supporters increased across the world, even among religious personalities. Later, studies by other scientists supported or revised Darwin’s theory of evolution. Today, Charles Darwin is recognized as the pioneer of the field of evolutionary biology. Intellectual Revolution SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist whose works in psychology are considered revolutionary. He was credited for psychoanalysis, theory on psychosexual development, dream interpretation and the id, ego and superego. Intellectual Revolution SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) Freud proposed psychoanalysis as a scientific method to understand the mind. Although today, many scientists consider Freud’s works as pseudoscience because of insufficient evidence and failure to be proven accurately. However, he is still considered revolutionary because he changed how society viewed the human self. Intellectual Revolution SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) Freud rejected the idea from ‘Enlightenment’ that humans are rational and can control his emotions and drives through reasoning. Freud suggested otherwise, saying that humans have a subconscious and unconscious mind which may control emotions, drives and behavior. He believed that humans have the tendency to be unaware of their behaviors and their emotions, making them irrational. Intellectual Revolution SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) Another field of work of Freud is the interpretation of dreams. For Freud, dreams are connected to one’s experiences. They are somehow products of the unconscious mind that are based on unfulfilled wishes. Thank you!