LEARNING MODULE IN GE 7 (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND

SOCIETY)

Topic 2: Intellectual Revolution That Defined Society

Learning Objectives
At the end of this topic, students will be able to:
a. analyze how scientific revolution is done in various parts of the world like in Latin
a. discuss how the ideas postulated by distinguished personalities contributed to the spark of
scientific revolution; and
America, East Asia, Middle East, and Africa

Activating Prior Learning

You may have read about different theories that worked and were believed to be true during
ancient times. In Astronomy, for example, you have learned that Sun is the Center of the
Solar System and that the planets, including Earth, are revolving around it in an elliptical
orbit. However, people in ancient times believed that the earth was the center of the universe.
Early beliefs also claimed that human beings were created through “Divine Creation” but this
was replaced by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. These are just some of
the examples of early theories that were challenged in the history of Science.
What were the great Intellectual Revolutions that significantly shaped our Society? What
made these new theories controversial? Who were these people or groups of people behind
these upheavals that permanently changed the course of history of Science? What were their
needs, and what were their struggles that motivated them to engage in such scholarly
contribution?
This topic will lead you to some of the answers of these aforementioned questions. Moreover,
this topic describes how science and technology theories paved the way for the
Enlightenment and our current understanding of some of the fundamental concepts of Science
and of the world.
Presentation of Content
The Man who moved the Sun

The way people think about Solar System has changed many times throughout history.
Before the development of telescope astronomy beliefs were based on what can be seen by
the naked eye. One of the earliest ideas on how Solar System was structured was introduced
by Claudius Ptolemy. He posited that planets as well as the sun and the moon, moved in a
circular motion around the Earth, a concept which is known as geo-centrism. This geocentric
model, considered to be one of the greatest discoveries of all time, was widely accepted by
the people and became\ the astronomical dogma in Western civilization for 1,400 years.
In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus challenged the geocentric model by putting sun at
the center of the solar system and known as the concept of heliocentrism. This idea was
rejected at first by the public. It appalled many since their religious belief had taught them
that the Earth was created first before all other things. Copernicus was even persecuted as a
heretic.
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Figure 2.1 Bold Man who challenged the Theory of Divine Creation
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who studied variation in plants, animals and
fossils during a five-year voyage around the world in the 19 th century. Darwin's theory of
evolution challenged the idea that God made all the animals and plants that live on Earth in a
single day, which contradicted the commonly held Christian views of his era. He did not
publish his scientific work and ideas until 28 years after his voyage.
Finally, as a result of Darwin's world expedition and observations, which were
enhanced by many years of experimentation, his discussions with like-minded scientists and
his developing knowledge of geology and fossils, he proposed the theory of evolution by
natural selection. Darwin proposed that: individual organisms within a particular species
show a wide range of variation for a characteristic, individuals with characteristics most
suited to the environment are more likely to survive to breed successfully; and the
characteristics that have enabled these individuals to survive are then passed on to the next
generation. This is called Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

Figure 2.2 Tree of Evolution

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Figure 2.3 Theory of Creation

The Father of Psychoanalysis

In the past, the field of Psychology was always classified under philosophy. Psychology was
considered more of an art rather than a science. In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud was
able to change people’s perception of psychology with his revolutionary theory of
psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis is the study of human behavior. In his theory, Freud explained that there are
many conscious and unconscious factors that can influence behavior and emotions. He also
argued that personality is a product of three conflicting elements: id, ego and superego.

Figure 2.4 Theory of Psychoanalysis

Science hardliners brushed off the legitimacy of psychoanalysis as a science since concepts
were viewed as philosophical and supernatural. Many believed that Freud’s theory has no
scientific basis as no empirical or experimental data could support it.
Despite criticisms, Freud still continued to work on refining his theory and in fact tried to
explain how psychoanalysis can be a clinical method in treating some mental disorders. Soon
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enough, people were able to understand the concepts of psychoanalysis, which eventually
resulted in classifying psychology as a science.

Your task

What we had just studied

are the major intellectual
revolutions in the past. At
present, what are the
widely acceptable theory
that could explain

1. Celestial Mechanics

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