Www.kenwoodacademy.org



Science and the EnlightenmentWhile the Renaissance, with its roots in Christian influence, created solid foundations for the increase of art, architecture, philosophy, science and mathematics, free thought was still restricted. This period of restriction continued until the Enlightenment, a period where, free of the shackles of religious dogma (core beliefs passed down by an authority figure as absolute truth), free thinkers could expand human knowledge at a rate never before seen.The Age of Enlightenment represents the change…where the modern world began and science replaced superstition. [It was influenced by the Scientific Revolution- a time when man used scientific methods to make new discoveries about the world and moved away from religious doctrine.]Science, the Enlightenment and ReligionThis change in thought coalesced (came together) around the philosophy of minds such as Sir Isaac Newton and John Locke (1632 – 1704), and it was based upon transforming society and describing knowledge in terms of human experience rather than Biblical tenets (main principles).Western Europe [was experiencing great wealth because they increased manufacturing, there was cheap labor and cheap resources from their overseas colonies. People could buy things cheaply and didn’t have to work as hard. So, there was more time to do and explore things they wanted.] …During this Age of Reason, scholars believed theories and ideas should be based upon human observations and experience. …This new definition of knowledge permeated (spread throughout) every aspect of human society, including art and culture. …Money began to flow into research, and the easy availability of such inventions such as the microscope, telescope, and barometer (instrument used to forecast the weather) gave scholars the means to make accurate observations, conducting experiments as they refined the scientific method into its modern form. Books were cheaper than ever before, and the improvement in roads and transportation allowed ideas to flow freely...Science, the Enlightenment and Social ReformThe overarching goal of the Enlightenment thinkers was social reform, and they provided the first real challenge to the autocracy (absolute rule) and theocracy (rule by religious authorities) that had dominated society for so long….The Age of Enlightenment was characterized by optimism, a feeling that humanity could change the world and rectify any mistakes of the past…. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download