CHAPTER 2: Intellectual Revolutions

that Defined Society

Edgar Menor, RPh.

Isabela State University – Cauayan Campus
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Discuss how the ideas postulated by Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud contributed to the spark of
scientific revolution.
 Articulate ways by which society is transformed by science and technology.
 This module will give light to the development of science and scientific ideas in the heart of
society.
 It is the goal of this module to articulate ways by which society is transformed by science and
technology.
Scientific Revolution
 Science is as old as the world itself.
 There is no individual that can exactly identify when and where science began.
 From the genesis of time, science has existed.
 It is always interwoven with the society
 It’s also a drastic change in scientific thought that took place during the 16th and
17th centuries or even earlier.
 A new view of nature emerged during the Scientific Revolution, replacing the Greek
view that had dominated science for almost 2,000 years.
 Science became an autonomous discipline, distinct from
both philosophy and technology, and it came to be regarded as having utilitarian
goals.
Scientific Revolution
 It was the period of enlightenment when the developments in the field of
mathematics, physics , astronomy, biology, and chemistry transformed the
views of society about the nature.
 It explained the emergence or birth of modern science as a result of these
developments from the discipline mentioned.
 Is very significant in the development of human beings, transformation of the
society and in formulation of scientific ideas.
 Transformed the natural world and the world of ideas.
 Scientists in all periods of time are driven by their curiosity, critical thinking,
and creativity to explore the physical and the natural world.
 Their love for science is driven by their deep passion to know and to discover.
Scientific Revolution
 It was the golden age for people committed to scholarly life in science but it
was also a deeply trying moment to some scientific individuals that led to
their painful death or condemnation from the religious institutions who tried
to preserve their faith, religion, and theological views.
 It is very significant in the development of human beings, transformation of
the society, and in the formulation of scientific ideas.
 It significantly improved the conduct of scientific investigations, experiments,
and observations.
 The scientific revolution also led to the creation of new research fields in
science and prompted the establishment of a strong foundation for modern
science.
 In many ways, scientific revolution transformed the natural world and the
world of ideas.
LESSON 1: Scientific Revolution and Some
Intellectuals and their Revolutionary Ideas

 Science is defined with a four perspectives:

 Science as an idea. It includes ideas, theories, and all available systematic
explanations and observations about the natural and physical world.
 Science as an intellectual activity. It encompasses a systematic and practical
study of the natural and physical world. This process of study involves
systematic observation and experimentation.
 Science as a body of knowledge. It is a sub-jector or a discipline, a field of
study , or a body of knowledge that deals with the process of learning about the
natural and physical world. This is what we refer to as school science.
 Science as a personal and social activity. This explains that science is both
knowledge and activities done by human beings to develop better understanding
of the world around them. It is a means to improve life and to survive in life. It
is interwoven with people’s life.
Variables that Influence the Development of
Science Ideas, Science Discoveries and Technology
Three notable scientists that particularly
through their ideas had shaken the world.
Nicolaus Copernicus
 He is a Polish astronomer who proposed the
heliocentric system that the planets orbit
around the Sun that the Earth is a planet
which, besides orbiting the Sun annually,
also turns once daily on its own axis and
that very slow changes in the direction of
this axis account for the precession of the
equinoxes.
 Considered to be the Father of modern
astronomy.
Nicolaus Copernicus
 He resembled the Greek ancient philosopher or thinkers – he did not do
anything extensive such as observing heavenly bodies or inviting people to
test his ideas.
 His ideas were an example of what is presently called as a thought
experiment. By the time he finished his doctorate degree, Copernicus had
been appointed as canon at Frombork Cathedral in Poland.
 Despite his duty as a canon, he had plenty of time to sustain his interest in
astronomy.
 Copernicus was strongly influenced by a book entitled Epitome published in
1496 by a German author, Johannes Mueller.
Nicolaus Copernicus

 He circulated a summary of his ideas to his ideas to his few close friends in a
manuscript called Commentariolus (Little Commentary).
 His book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres)
 Copernicus placed the Sun as the center of the universe. (Heliocentric)
 Copernicus outlined two kinds of planetary motion:
 1. The orbits of the Venus and Mercury lay inside the orbit of the Earth ,thus
closer to the sun.
 2. The orbit of Mars, Saturn, and lay outside the Earth’s orbit, thus farther
from the sun.
Charles Darwin
 He was a British naturalist who developed a
theory of evolution based on natural select.
 He is famous for his theory of evolution. He
published his book The Origin of Species in 1589.
 His book The Descent of Man was so impressive
yet so controversial.
 He argued that human beings shared a recent
common ancestor with the great African apes.
 He identified the defining characteristic of the
human species as their relatively large brain size
and deduced that the evolutionary advantage of
the human species was intelligence, which
yielded language and technology.
 He introduced all organic life, including human
beings, under the realm of evolutionary thinking.
Theory of Evolution

 Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through a process

called "natural selection," where those that successfully adapted or evolved to
meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived and
reproduced, while those species that failed to evolve and reproduce died off.
 Darwin’s theory of evolution and the process of natural selection later became
known simply as “Darwinism.”
 At the time, other naturalists believed that all species either came into being at
the start of the world or were created over the course of natural history.
 In either case, they believed species remained much the same throughout time.
Theory of Evolution
Sigmund Freud
 He was the founding father of psychoanalysis, a method
for treating mental illness and also a theory which explains
human behaviour.
 Freud believed that events in our childhood have a great
influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality.
 For example, anxiety originating from traumatic
experiences in a person's past is hidden from
consciousness, and may cause problems during adulthood
(in the form of neuroses).
 He also made a significant contribution in the scientific
world through the development of an important
observational method to gather reliable data to study
human’s inner life.
 This method is called psychoanalysis which means a
scientific way to study the human mind and neurotic
illness.
Sigmund Freud

 His method of psychoanalysis was proven to be effective in understanding some

neurological conditions that were not understood by medicine at that time.
 His method was unorthodox-focusing on human sexuality and the evil nature of
man.
 This posed immense challenges to scholars and ordinary citizens of his time.
 To some, they found his ideas not easy especially in his explanations of human
sexuality.
 The fact remains that Freudian ideas and theories still considered nowadays as a
great inspiration to examine human mind and behavior in a more scientifically
accepted ways.
Freud's Three Levels of Mind
 The preconscious mind - consists of anything that could potentially be
brought into the conscious mind.
 The conscious mind - contains all of the thoughts, memories, feelings, and
wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This is the aspect of our
mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. This also
includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be
retrieved easily and brought into awareness.
 The unconscious mind - is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and
memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The unconscious
contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of
pain, anxiety, or conflict.
SUMMARY:

 There were many intellectuals who made essential contributions in science

during the period of scientific revolution.
 Copernicus idea on heliocentric theory (the sun is the center of the universes)
is one of the major significant discovery in the history of science
development.
 Darwin also made significant contribution in the evolutionary biology and
philosophy of science.
 Freud developed the idea of psychoanalysis that helped in understanding
human behavior especially neurological conditions.
 THANK YOU!