Lesson 2

Intellectual Revolutions that defined Society

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Objectives: 
At the end of the lesson, you can:
1. Describe how science and technology impact society;
2. Explain how the Intellectual Revolution altered people's perceptions of the world;
3. Describe technical achievements in the information era; and
4. Consider the evolution of science and technology in various places of the world.
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Introduction
As people seek methods to make their lives easier, science and technology have advanced
significantly throughout history and up to now. The Intellectual Revolution has revolutionized society's
beliefs and perceptions through scientific and technological developments. This lesson will teach you how
science and technology shaped people's opinions in the early modern age.

Activity

Examine the diagram below and respond to the analytical questions as follows.
Analysis

1. Both through your opinion and research, what motivates a scientist to study the physical and
natural world?

In movies and television shows, scientists are sometimes depicted as randomly mixing
substances to create bizarre combinations. This couldn't be more untrue. Real scientists are
meticulously structured and rigorous in their approach to their profession. During my internet
search, I came across an article that stated that many of these experts have had an early interest
and curiosity in science or the natural world. Parents and other family members stimulated their
curiosity by bringing children into contact with scientists and science labs, as well as nature and
science and technology museums. Others (27%) recalled professors who provided good mentoring
and support, whether they were in elementary school, graduate school, or anywhere in between.
And 17% mentioned how lab and field work, which they commonly did in high school and college,
sparked their interest in pursuing a science profession. That explains why people are interested in
science in the first place. However, there are other Google results that suggest that the pursuit of
knowledge and the desire to make a difference in the world are unquestionably the primary
motivators for scientists. But, in my opinion, one of the most factors that contributed for scientists is
curiosity. They enjoy science's ability to surprise them.Every "wrong result" from an experiment
fascinates and excites them just as much. They almost never 'fail' because their goal was never to
achieve in the first place—it was to learn. It is the desire to study and accomplish something that
no one has ever done before, thereby contributing to a meaningful advancement in scientific
understanding of the world around us, even if only in a minor way. The thrill of spending months or
years trying to solve a problem and then solving it and so teaching people who have no idea about
the field is incomparable.

2. Why do you believe the term "revolution" is used to describe this era for science and
technology?

The term "scientific revolution" is used to characterize this period of science and
technology because it refers to the revitalization of modern science in broad terms. This is what
happened when advances in numerous fields of study, particularly chemistry, physics,
mathematics, astrophysics, and biology, completely revolutionized the way many things were done.
People are restless beings with powerful minds and imaginations, so they are always looking for
ways to achieve "progress," and it makes them feel better if they can at least imagine moving
forward. Several advances in science and technology have been made over this century and a half
of scientific advancement. During this time, unique approaches of observation, hypothesis,
experimentation, analysis, and conclusion were sculpted and processed, resulting in important
discoveries about gravity, the skeletal and muscular systems of the human body. During these
eras, there was a widespread adoption of systematic scientific explanations of many phenomena,
which is typically attributed in the scientific revolution.
 Abstraction

Copernican Revolution
People used to wonder what differentiated days from nights. They were curious about heavenly
bodies such as stars, moons, and planets. The invention of the telescope allowed people to get a glimpse
of space, but more crucially, it piqued their interest in what was out there.

Geocentric Theory vs. Heliocentric Theory

Photo taken from Google image.com

Claudius Ptolemy, a great philosopher, and astronomer thought that the Earth was at the center of
the universe and that the sun and moon revolved around it. The revolution of the sun and moon explained
the existence of days and nights. Geocentrism is the term for this concept which was also believed by
Aristotle. This paradigm was extensively accepted by the public and was considered one of the most
significant discoveries of the period.
Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish mathematician, and astronomer questioned the Ptolemic model in
the 16th century. He coined the term "heliocentrism" to describe a new concept. This implied that the sun,
not Earth, was the center of the Solar System. Initially, the public opposed this concept, but astronomers
like Galileo Galilee eventually understood that the Copernican model simplified planet orbits. In an era
known as the genesis of modern astronomy, the public finally accepted it.
Darwinian Theory
Darwinian Theory has left a lasting influence on people's perceptions of biology and strongly
influenced other branches of human knowledge. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, biologist, and
geologist who wrote two books: The Origin of Species (1859) and Descent of Man (1871). He thought that
humans were descended from apes.
He introduced the idea of evolution in his first book, which states that species evolve over time, can
adapt to their environment, and progressively change into something that would be more competitive to
survive. He suggested that people go through a process called natural selection wherein only the fittest
would survive.

Photo taken from

Google image.com

Nonetheless, this theory became very controversial because people see this as a contradiction
against the church's teachings, where they believe that a powerful creator was the source of life. This was
the period when people believed and accepted the biblical version of the Earth’s creation. Because of this,
people were divided- some believed that the theory explained the origin of life, while the devout and the
faithful strongly disproved. It took a while for people to realize that Darwin’s theory of evolution was not in
contradiction of the church's teachings, and both can coexist.

Freudian Revolution
The theory started to revolutionize Psychology and Psychiatry with Sigmund Freud. In the past,
psychology was always classified under philosophy, and that it was considered more of an art than a
science. However, in the late 19 th century, Sigmund Freud changed people’s perception of psychology with
his revolutionary theory, the study of human behavior called psychoanalysis.
 He theorized three (3) aspects of personality that significantly influenced human behavior. These are
the structures or levels of the mind (conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious); the structures or the
levels of personality (id, ego, and superego); and the psychosexual stages of development.

The Three Levels of Mind

▪ The conscious mind (lowest level) - consists of our thoughts, desires, and wishes we are
aware of or can be recalled at any time.
▪ Pre-conscious mind - consists of experiences that we are not aware of but are made
conscious of by simply focusing on them. These are our memories and stored knowledge.
▪ The unconscious mind (or subconscious) - is the highest level of the mind that contained
repressed urges, thoughts, memories, and wishes which are disturbing and threatening. They
could not be easily accessed unless they are brought out through psychoanalysis or
psychotherapy. Thoughts are unorganized and are based on pleasures and desires, and usually
conflicts with society.

The id, ego, and superego

levels of consciousness described by
Sigmund Freud are depicted in this
diagram. The conscious level is above
water; the preconscious level is below
the surface and above the white line; and
the unconscious level is below the
surface and below the white line.

Three Structures of Personality

● ID (the makahayop personality) – is the
instinctive and primitive component of
personality and seeks immediate
gratification. It is also where the sexual urge
or libido is associated.
● EGO (the makatao personality) – is the
decision-making, rational, and negotiating
component of personality. It operates
according to the principle of reality.
 ● SUPEREGO or conscience (the maka-diyos personality) – strives to be moral,
perfect, good and honorable.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Personality, according to Freud, develops through a series of infancy phases in which the
pleasure-seeking d's energies become focused on specific erogenous zones. An erogenous zone is
defined as a bodily region that is extremely sensitive to stimulation.

The erogenous zone linked with each of the five psychosexual stages, the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and
genital stages, acts as a source of pleasure.

https://
sites.google.com/site/1122703096v1// references/freud%20stages.jpg

The Information Age

The “Computer Age” has had a significant impact on how we live today. Aside from entertainment,
one of the most significant effects technology has on society is its educational component. In addition to
notebooks, schools have permitted students to use word documents or e-Books, which has reduced their
workload. The advent of internet technology has made education and learning more accessible.
 Source: Google Images
Businesses have gotten more profitable as a result of improved machines and the internet.
Accounts and client details may be conveniently saved and accessed, allowing the company to expand its
market reach. Collaborations and partnerships on a global scale are easier to establish and manage.

Now, let us investigate the development of science & technology in ancient America!
The Mesoamerican Map

Photo taken from Google image.com

Mayan Civilization
1800 BC – 900 AD

❖ They built pyramids, used astronomy, and discovered the 365-day calendar.
❖ The advanced writing system is known as Mayan hieroglyphs.
❖ Developed the vigesimal system, a number system that contains 20 digits. This is used to create
their calendar for which they are praised to this day.

Aztec Civilization
1300 AD – 1521 AD

❖ One of the first civilizations that require education.

❖ Performed surgery and discovered a relaxing muscle medication.
❖ Studied astronomy and created a calendar called the Sunstone that revolves around the sun’s
orbit.
 ❖ The first civilization to use a cocoa (chocolate) plant in cooking.
❖ The first society to use irrigation techniques and created “floating gardens” called Chinompas to
grow crops.

Incan Civilization
1400 AD – 1533 AD

❖ Terraced agriculture for mountain farming methods and irrigation canals, especially potatoes.
❖ Freeze-dried food preservation
❖ Road systems
❖ System of Measurement: the Quips had the main string about two feet long and used a base of
ten. It allowed messages to be carried by runners from one end of the empire to the other.

Asian Civilization

India

❖ They are well-known for producing iron and metallurgical products. Their iron steel is regarded as
the greatest in the world.
❖ Medicine: Ayurveda system of traditional medicine is still practiced today.
❖ Astronomy: Developed theories on the universe's arrangement, the Earth's spherical self-
supporting shape, and the 360-day year divided into 12 equal halves of 30 days each.

❖ Mathematics: Tried to the standardized measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy and
designed the Mohenjo-Daro ruler.

China

❖ Known for traditional medicines. Discovered various medical properties and used plants and
animals to cure human illnesses. One example is acupuncture.

❖ Technology: Compass, papermaking, gunpowder, printing tools, iron plow, wheelbarrow, and
propeller, among others.
❖ Developed a dry dock facility and invented the first seismological detector.

Middle East

Muslim scholars who have great contributions to science and technology:

❖ Ibn al- Haytham: regarded as the Father of Optics, especially for his empirical proof of the
intromission theory of light.
❖ Muhammad ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi: A mathematician who gave his name to the concept of the
algorithm. The term algebra was derived from the beginning of the title of his publication, al-Jaber.
 ❖ Muslim mathematicians improved India's number system in various ways, including the introduction
of decimal point notation.

❖ Ibn Sina has two notable works in medicine used as standard medical texts in the Muslim world
and Europe during the 17 th century. These are the Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine.
One of his many contributions is the discovery of the contagious nature of infectious diseases and
the introduction of clinical pharmacology (Craig & Walter,2000).

African Civilization

❖ Nok culture, now central Nigeria, displays antiquity in art forms that reveal metallurgy and stone
sculpture knowledge.
❖ Agriculture, including animal husbandry, which is real, was the origin of all people and the cradle
of food production, crop specialization, and experimentation in agriculture and transhumance
livestock management systems.
❖ Origin of three important pharmacological substances, known as alkaloids (kola, coffee, khat). The
principal characteristic of these agricultural commodities is that they have pharmacological
properties that stimulate the brain and the central nervous system. Kola nut production,
particularly Cola nitride, is indigenous to western Africa and is the basis of the popular cola drinks.
❖ Coffee was developed as a consumable drink in Ethiopia and subsequently spread to Arabia and
throughout the world.

Coffee has risen to prominence as one of the world's most significant consumables.
Manufacturing and Industry: manufacture of cotton textiles. Cotton had been cultivated, harvested,
cleaned, spun into yarn, and woven into cloth for centuries in West Africa, long before direct trade
with Europeans.

Application
Activity 1. Word Bank
Based on your understanding, define the concepts below in not less than three sentences. (3 points)

1. Intellectual revolution

According to my perspective, the Intellectual Revolution was a period in which scientific

and technological developments altered people's perceptions and ideas. Scientific theories that
 had previously been generally accepted and supported by the public were tested and resisted. It is
a constant process of development aimed at meeting societal needs. Perhaps as a result, it is likely
to assist humanity in acquiring wisdom, defined as the ability to recognize (apprehend and create)
what is of value in life, both for oneself and for others, wisdom including knowledge and
technological know-how, but also much more. The intellectual revolution has the potential to bring
great minds together to make the world a more peaceful and progressive place.

2. Computer Age

The Information Age refers to the idea that information availability and control are the
distinguishing characteristics of this new phase in human history. It is the time period during which
personal computers and other following technologies were introduced to allow people to convey
information conveniently and quickly. Everyone can benefit, especially students who frequently use
the internet to conduct research for school assignments. The biggest benefit of this era's concept,
in my opinion, is that it provides individuals with a new means of obtaining fresh knowledge.
Allowing the community to grow and generate solid ideas on how things should be.

3. Natural Selection Process

Charles Darwin's theory developed the idea of natural selection that refers to the process
through which populations of living organisms adapt and change. Individuals in a population are
naturally variable, meaning that they are all different in some ways. Wherein he also introduces in
his book about how organisms evolve over generations through the inheritance of physical or
behavioral traits. And I think it has something to do with the evolution of humans in which they
believed before that humans evolved from monkeys. This theory became very controversial
because people see this as a contradiction against the church's teachings, where they believe that
a powerful creator was the source of life.

4. Heliocentrism

Heliocentrism is no longer a strange notion to me, as it was introduced to me in my

previous grade level. Heliocentrism is an astronomy model in which the Sun is at the center of the
Solar System, the universe, and all of the planets rotate around it, according to what I learned. The
Heliocentric theory was proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer recognized as the
"Father of Modern Astronomy." He was the first modern European scientist to present it. It fought
the notion of geocentrism, which holds that the Earth is the center of the universe.

5. Psychoanalysis

Aside from The Heliocentric Theory, I was also familiar with Sigmund Freud's
psychoanalysis because it was one of the topics we discussed in senior high school that had
remained in my memory. Because it interests me, and I watch the Netflix series "Freud," which is
based on the ideas of the great psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. The theory was simple to grasp as it is
based on a collection of psychological theories and therapeutic techniques. It is to comprehend the
personality through our three minds and degrees of consciousness (conscious, preconscious and
 unconscious). According to this theory, everyone has unconscious thoughts, feelings, wants, and
memories.

Activity 2. Image Posting.

Instruction: Post or draw an image inside the boxes that captured your interest, and write captions below
them.
Guide Questions: a. Why does this drawn concept/figure capture your interest?
b. How did it affect society?

A. Copernicus

One thing I am certain of is that I am not brilliant in science. In fact, I'd claim this is the subject in
which I'm the weakest. That made me wanna know more about it. I'm curious about how the planet was
created, the solar system, constellations, and so on. As a result, Nicolaus Copernicus' theory of
Heliocentrism attracted my interest. Because I have no notion what our galaxy looks like in its entirety.
Copernicus was particularly clever, including that he discovered this notion through studying science.
Because I don't think I could do it if I were him. I think it has both a negative and positive impact on society.
The disadvantage is that it caused people to be unsure about what to believe in because it questioned the
church's legitimacy by contradicting its ideology. It freed the human mind from the centuries-long
intellectual restraints that religion and the Divine Right of Kings had imposed on it. For me, it's just that I
believe it's not good to confuse people because it might change their beliefs and how they approach a
situation. Meanwhile, the positive side of it is that it has increased public awareness of our universe and
science. The information provides a wide variety of insight to society.

B. Darwin

The idea that Charles Darwin created maps and wrote information about various living species as
part of the concept of Darwin's theory astounded me. It was quite helpful to those of us who are unfamiliar
with animals because we were able to interact with a specific species using the information provided. Plus,
it's not only about animals; it's also about humans, and every living creature's adaptation to their
surroundings. Which will be beneficial to future generations. This theory's concept has been used to justify
imperialism, racism, eugenics, and socioeconomic inequality at various periods throughout the past century
and a half. This idea is important in the educational system because it explains how creatures change
through generations by passing down physical or behavioral features. It is taught in schools and is
beneficial to all students' knowledge.

C. Freudian
 There was a time in my life when I dreamed about being a psychologist, and when I came across
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, all I could think was "this is interesting." It's amazing because it explains
your state of mind by bringing unconscious content into your awareness when you're making a decision. I
find it fascinating and would like to learn more about it because it has to do with people's emotions. I
believe it is beneficial when you are conscious of your unusual emotions and can take action as a result of
your knowledge of psychological theories and therapy approaches.In terms of its impact, I believe it is quite
beneficial, particularly in terms of mental health. Because so many people are committing suicide these
days, this theory can be quite useful because it informs psychologists about what treatment to give and
what type of mental condition a person has. It mostly altered how society viewed and dealt with mental
illness.

Activity 3. Essay
Write an essay consisting of 150-300 words. Be careful about your spelling, format, and
organization of ideas, neatness, and grammar.
The topic is:
“The Role of Science & Technology in Today’s Contemporary Society”

Isaac Asimov stated that "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge
faster than society gathers wisdom". In today's society, the pandemic is extremely serious, causing
hardship for everyone. Our lives were no longer as normal as they had been. We are unable to walk
outside like we once did because the virus is present everywhere and can affect anyone. So, in the context
of science and technology in our contemporary society during this pandemic, science plays an undoubtedly
important role. As a result of science's ability to respond quickly. Doctors are immediately aware of the
country from whence it originated, the animal from which it was obtained, the causes, symptoms, and how
to prevent infection. It is apparent that it has made a significant contribution to the world. When it comes to
research, on the other hand, scientists and Doctors can rely on technology. We can't deny that the majority
of the possible answers to our questions may be found on the internet. Simply opening your device and
searching on Google will bring you an article about a given topic. As a result, doctors' responses are easier
because technology is there to keep up. However, People nowadays seem to find it difficult to absorb the
information provided to them. Even while the media is already presenting procedures to follow, the news is
heard on the radio, and even seen on social media regarding prevention, some people still do not obey.
Meanwhile, society is lacking in understanding. To be clear, science and technology are essential in today's
society. Science and technology have played a significant part in improving people's lives around the world,
but all countries must realize the maximum benefit. With the advancement of medicines and disease
analyses, science and technology has made life a lot easier and better. Science and technology are the
lifeblood of today's societies. It has also imparted its critical significance in the progress of a nation. All
developed countries are fully equipped with current and neoteric technology, which has enabled them to
overcome adversity and achieve growth.

Closure
Great job, learner!
You, as a significant part of society, I am hoping that you carry the same intellectual enthusiasm
and curiosity a modern scientist has. With that, you can now move to the next phase of our learning,
Science and Technology and Nation Building.

References:

- Gibbons, A. (n.d.). Bonobos join chimps as closest human relatives. Science |

AAAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/bonobos-join-chimps-closest-
human-relatives-rev2
- Funk, C., & Hefferon, M. (2020, May 30). Why do people become scientists? What
scientists told us. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2016/10/24/as-the-need-for-highly-trained-scientists-grows-a-look-at-why-
people-choose-these-careers/