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The '''Scientific Revolution''' is a name that some modern historians use to describe what they call the beginning of modern [[science]] in the mid-1500s. At that time natural philosophers (the term scientist was not coined until the 1800s) began to publish scientific hypotheses with the recently-invented [[printing press]]. Most leftist historians typically point to [[Copernicus|Copernicus']] publishing of his [[Heliocentrism|heliocentric theory]] as the beginning of this revolution, although the actual starting date is debated.  The heliocentric theory stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun, as opposed to the [[Geocentric theory|geocentric theory]] that Sun revolves around the Earth.<ref>Eg, see http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html</ref>

The '''Scientific Revolution''' is a name that some modern historians use to describe what they call the beginning of modern [[science]] in the mid-1500s. At that time natural philosophers (the term scientist was not coined until the 1800s) began to publish scientific hypotheses with the recently-invented [[printing press]]. Most leftist historians typically point to [[Copernicus|Copernicus']] publishing of his [[Heliocentrism|heliocentric theory]] as the beginning of this revolution, although the actual starting date is debated.  The heliocentric theory stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun, as opposed to the [[geocentric theory]] that Sun revolves around the Earth.<ref>Eg, see http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html</ref>

In fact, Copernicus had no observations or experiments to show that his model was better than others, and his methods were not significantly more accurate or scientific than those of Ptolemy that had been in use older cosmological models for over a thousand years.  Rather, his system was praised for reasons that have little to do with science. He symbolized the challenging the millenia-held beliefs of antiquity.

In fact, Copernicus had no observations or experiments to show that his model was better than others, and his methods were not significantly more accurate or scientific than those of Ptolemy that had been in use older cosmological models for over a thousand years.  Rather, his system was praised for reasons that have little to do with science. He symbolized the challenging the millenia-held beliefs of antiquity.

The height of the so-called revolution was seen with the expansion of scientific societies such as the [[Royal Society]] in the 17th century, and the emphasis on the experimental method (later called the scientific method) and the creation of Newtonian physics, which had enormous impact upon European culture and philosophy in the 1700s.  The 1700 and 1800s saw a massive expansion in countless fields of study. Biology was expanded as thousands of specimens were brought from voyages and colonies world wide to botanical gardens in centers such as London, and were categorized by men such as Karl von [[Linnaeus]].  Chemical inquiry was increasingly popular, and culminated in the discovery of oxygen by [[Joseph Priestley]] and [[Antoine Lavoisier]], ending an ancient belief that air was its own element.  Geological study unearthed countless fossils, which fostered varied debates between those, such as [[Lamarck]] and [[Lyell]], who argued for an old earth or even biological evolution, and [[Catastrophists]], such as [[Georges Cuvier]], who sought to reconcile scientific discovery with literal accounts in the bible.

The height of the so-called revolution was seen with the expansion of scientific societies such as the [[Royal Society]] in the 17th century, and the emphasis on the experimental method (later called the scientific method) and the creation of Newtonian physics, which had enormous impact upon European culture and philosophy in the 1700s.  The 1700 and 1800s saw a massive expansion in countless fields of study. Biology was expanded as thousands of specimens were brought from voyages and colonies world wide to botanical gardens in centers such as London, and were categorized by men such as Karl von [[Linnaeus]].  Chemical inquiry was increasingly popular, and culminated in the discovery of oxygen by [[Joseph Priestley]] and [[Antoine Lavoisier]], ending an ancient belief that air was its own element.  Geological study unearthed countless fossils, which fostered varied debates between those, such as [[Lamarck]] and [[Lyell]], who argued for an old earth or even biological evolution, and [[Catastrophists]], such as [[Georges Cuvier]], who sought to reconcile scientific discovery with literal accounts in the bible.

== Influence of Religion ==  

== Influence of Religion ==

[[Image:Bacon5.jpg|thumb|right|175px|In his essay ''Of [[Atheism]]'' Sir [[Francis Bacon]] wrote: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the [[Talmud]], and the [[Koran|Alcoran]], than that this universal frame is without a mind."]]

[[Image:Bacon5.jpg|thumb|right|175px|In his essay ''Of [[Atheism]]'' Sir [[Francis Bacon]] wrote: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the [[Talmud]], and the [[Koran|Alcoran]], than that this universal frame is without a mind."]]

An 1867 article in the church-oriented ''Contemporary Review'' uses the phrase, while making the point that the scientific revolution was not only not, as often implied, an opposition to religion, but was in fact largely the work of the clergy. The author suggests that "Galileo, the layman, was himself partly to blame for the persecution which the churchman, Copernicus avoided." He then continues:

An 1867 article in the church-oriented ''Contemporary Review'' uses the phrase, while making the point that the scientific revolution was not only not, as often implied, an opposition to religion, but was in fact largely the work of the clergy. The author suggests that "Galileo, the layman, was himself partly to blame for the persecution which the churchman, Copernicus avoided." He then continues:

{{cquote|P. E. Hodgson in reviewing [[Stanley Jaki]]'s ''Science and Creation'' said: "Although we seldom recognize it, scientific research requires certain basic beliefs about the order and rationality of matter, and its accessibility to the human mind . . . they came to us in their full force through the Judeo-Christian belief in an omnipotent God, creator and sustainer of all things. In such a world view it becomes sensible to try and understand the world, and this is the fundamental reason science developed as it did in the Middle Ages in Christian Europe, culminating in the brilliant achievements of the seventeenth century."<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth17.html</ref>}}

{{cquote|P. E. Hodgson in reviewing [[Stanley Jaki]]'s ''Science and Creation'' said: "Although we seldom recognize it, scientific research requires certain basic beliefs about the order and rationality of matter, and its accessibility to the human mind . . . they came to us in their full force through the Judeo-Christian belief in an omnipotent God, creator and sustainer of all things. In such a world view it becomes sensible to try and understand the world, and this is the fundamental reason science developed as it did in the Middle Ages in Christian Europe, culminating in the brilliant achievements of the seventeenth century."<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth17.html</ref>}}

== Paradigm Shift ==  

== Paradigm Shift ==

Thomas Kuhn's book ''The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,'' popularized the term ''scientific revolution'' (and [[paradigm shift]]) to describe changes in accepted scientific thinking in a particular scientific field brought about by a new theory. Kuhn believed that the changes are not necessarily rational or leading to progress. The Copernican model of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun was one of his best examples.<ref>T.S.Kuhn, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", University of Chicago Press, 1962.</ref>

Thomas Kuhn's book ''The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,'' popularized the term ''scientific revolution'' (and [[paradigm shift]]) to describe changes in accepted scientific thinking in a particular scientific field brought about by a new theory. Kuhn believed that the changes are not necessarily rational or leading to progress. The Copernican model of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun was one of his best examples.<ref>T.S.Kuhn, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", University of Chicago Press, 1962.</ref>

==Notes and references==  

==Notes and references==

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[[Category:Science]]

[[Category:Science]]

[[Category:Methodology of Science]]

[[Category:Methodology of Science]]