Scientific Revolution

Scientific revolution refers to the series of events between 1540 and 1700 that led to the birth of modern science. But why is the birth of science referred to as a revolution? It’s because science was an entirely novel concept. It was a completely different perspective of the world.

Before the scientific revolution, most educated people who studied the world used explanations provided by authorities such as ancient Greek writers and Catholic Church officials as their sources. Following the revolution, educated people emphasised what they observed rather than what they were told. They learned by observing the world around them and developing logical explanations for what they saw. Hence, people’s way of thinking changed drastically.

Scientific Revolution and the Origins of Modern Science

Advancements in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology (including human anatomy), and chemistry altered societal perceptions of nature. While the date of when the revolution began is debatable, the publication of Nicolaus Copernicus’ De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (translation: On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) in 1543 is widely regarded as the start of the scientific revolution.

Old ideas such as Aristotle’s cosmology, which positioned our planet at the centre of the whole universe, and the Ptolemaic model of planetary motion were fundamentally transformed during the era of the scientific revolution. Thanks to the revolution, we now know that the world doesn’t revolve around the Earth. It is, in fact, a tiny part of a humongous universe.One significant change brought about by the scientific revolution was in sociology.

Sociology and the Scientific Revolution

Science had a tremendous effect on various social institutions and the fabric of society as a whole. It is said that the scientific revolution did not happen in the field of science. Instead, it was a social revolution that took place because of science.Science did not advance independently. If anything, the revolution took place to cater to the needs of humans at that time. For example, scientists had no choice but to develop vaccines when fatal diseases hit humankind. This ultimately led to advancements in bioscience, which, in hindsight, could not have been possible without human needs.The Church was the ultimate authority through the medieval period. Its beliefs and ideas were supreme, which no one could challenge. The scientific revolution in the renaissance period influenced people to question things they had never done before. Rational thinking soon replaced people’s belief in supernatural phenomena and miracles.The Church’s authoritative position was questioned. It was no longer the institution people believed in blindly.

How the Scientific Revolution Led to the Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution changed the nature of society. But it was only possible because of all the advancements in science. New technology was being employed, an industrial class was created and people learned to use modern tools for work.The kind of impact the industrial revolution had on sociology has no end. Income inequality crept in, workers became aware of their rights, and a new political wave emerged. The entire industrial revolution rests upon the advancement in scientific methods that could only be possible due to the scientific revolution.

Innovative Concepts

Several novel ideas made contributions to what is now called the scientific revolution. A few of them were so great that they brought about revolutions in their respective fields. These are some examples:

1. The Heliocentric model suggested the Earth orbits around the Sun. This was a different model compared to the one that regarded the Earth as the centre of the universe. Copernicus’ work on this model, published in 1543, attempted to establish that the Sun was the actual centre of the universe. Soon, discoveries by Johannes Kepler and Galileo provided credibility to the theory. The laws of motion and universal gravitation published in Isaac Newton’s book Principia dominate scientists’ understanding of the physical universe to this very day. These theories shattered the fundamental foundation upon which human faith was built.
2. The study of human anatomy changed through the dissection of human corpses instead of animal ones. Human dissection was considered immoral until the scientific revolution changed people’s views.
3. The discovery and study of magnetism, electricity, and the electric properties of various materials.
4. Disciplines such as dentistry, physiology, chemistry, and optics were modernised.
5. The invention of tools for advancing scientific understanding such as mechanical calculators, steam digesters (forerunners of the steam engine), reflecting and refracting telescopes, vacuum pumps, and mercury barometers.

Conclusion

Thanks to the scientific revolution, science eventually began to dominate enlightenment discourse and thought. The revolution and the origins of modern science made it possible to know this world as we do today. The Church’s authority was challenged, and a wave of individualism took over the world. People’s beliefs shifted from supernatural to logical deductions. Several scientific innovations during that time, such as the discovery of the theory of evolution, Copernicus’ work, etc., helped change this mentality.