The Origins of Modern Science Essay - 2484 Words

The origins of modern science date to the seventeenth century, a period so marked by innovative thinking that it has been called the `century of genius....Breaking free of the bonds of tradition, these sixteenth-century thinkers developed the scientific method, a means of understanding based on a systematic observation of natural phenomena and experimentation regarding causes and effects (Merriman, 311). The ideas of many scientists, and philosophers, such as Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Francis Bacon, flew in the face of the 16th century intellectual orthodoxy. Of these great thinkers, the ideas Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Rene Descartes (1596-1650), and Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), stand as prime examples of human reason†¦show more content†¦This caused religious skepticism that began to increase during the late seventeenth century. Modern reader may have difficulty imagining the degree to which the Catholic church (during this period of history) dominated the flow of ideas that reached the masses. To understand why the Church would be strongly opposed to any ideas that contradicted their truths, consider the following analogy. Think of God as a lake and the hierarchy of power in the Church as a river branching off the lake. The river is evidently the source of any power which the lake may have. So, any thing that diminishes the size of the lake, will diminish the strength of the river. From the Churchs perspective, that is, the perspective of a highly powerful spiritual, moral, economic, and political institution, reducing the centrality of God undermines the source from which they derive, or justify their power. In the seventeenth century, an era unusually full of remarkable intellectuals questioning most aspects of life, the common people also started to question. Prompting this major shift in the docile nature of the people, could have been the realization that the words of the church may not have been all true. Has the church been saying or doing what will be more beneficial for us to survive and prosper?, one might have asked. Or, is their word the law simply because God is speaking through the pope--regardless of what science says or proves? If people begin to question the authority ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Herto Homo Sapiens and the Origin of Man1478 Words   |  6 PagesHerto Homo Sapiens and the Questionable Origin of Man Many discoveries have been made that give more and more clues to the history of life on earth. Paleontologists find artifacts throughout the world that not only answer many questions but also raise many new ones. A topic that is still a mystery today is the origin of man. Scientists often debate over where man originated from and who some of his prehistoric relatives were. 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