AP
Est. 1300
Get Wrecked for European History
William Harvey challenged the traditional theory of the body and theory of diseases after doing experiments on the human body. He discovered that blood circulated through the body via veins and arteries. He explained that muscles worked as pumps to move blood around. And since the heart moved blood around the body, it disproved Galen's theory that sickness's were caused by an imbalence of fluids in the body.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
Francis Bacon and René Descartes went on and developed the Scientific Method using that experimentation and mathematical reasoning. Francis Bacon went and rejected Aristotlian methods, which used speculative reasoning, and decided that knowledge should be pursued using research. René Descartes used analytical geometry to find answers to all life's questions. Accepting Galelio's claim that everything was made of the same elements, he investigated to find the nature of matter. He explained that matter was made of identicle corpuscles that collided together. That was wrong but whatever, what he was right about was that all things could be divided into matter and mind, or spiritual and physical.
Both scientist's experimentalism and deductive mathematical reasoning were important but kinda faulty. Francis Bacon could only accept practicle results and René Descartes' method was rigid as not everything could be mathematically broken down.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
So there were a ton of advancements in technology around this time yeah. There was like telescopes being made and people were charting the stars and planets right. And people began noticing that the Earth was orbiting the Sun, instead of everything orbiting the Earth! So people like Galileo began teaching this heliocentric view of the universe, teaching that everything revolved around the Sun. But this is not what the Church taught? So if the Roman Catholic Church was wrong about this thing, what else could they be wrong about?? Especially because the Church tried to cover up this discovery by threatening Galilieo, what are they trying to cover up??
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
So, as we all know, being a woman during any time in history sucked. But at this time, there was a special kind of suckiness. You see, dudes were going along challenging society and stuff and patting themselves on the back like "hoo boy we sure are enlightening people". And like, women weren't allowed to attend universities and stuff, no one even challenged that sexism. So Mary Wollstonecraft was like "If men are born free than why are Women born slaves?" and Olympe de Gouges was like "truuuu" and wroteA Declaration on the Rights of Women, cause women deserve rights too you know? But of course this idea that women deserve rights too goes against Rousseau thought, cause he wasn't like, the biggest fan of women's rights.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
So Diderot was like "power to the people!" but he was also like "Man religion and government is kinda oppressive ammirite?". This was kinda bad, criticizing religion at this time could get you killed you know.
Voltaire really didn't like absolutism but criticized people so? He lived a pretty comfortable life, being middle-class and socialising with nobles. Anyway, he was a revolutionary dude, and criticized the world for not being as tolerant as it should be. Everyone should be accepted you know? Except Jews cause heck them.
Montesquieu didn't believe in abolutism and criticized many different forms of government. He thought that less centralized governments would be the best for people.
So according to John Locke, everybody was born with a blank slate. Everyone was born equal, no one was born to be king (sorry Lion King) or born absolutist. Basically, cause everyone was born with the same way, everyone had the same basic human rights.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
So during the enlightenment, people started self-educating and learning to read and universities started popping up everywhere. People were publishing their ideas via books and pamphlets, so they could be spread around Europe, and people hosted salons to discuss ideas and theories. Scientists were travelling throughout Europe to meet with other scientists so they could talk about science, they would meet up at salons or houses or even coffeeshops. It was great.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
You know how during the Scientific Revolution everyone was thirsting for that knowledge? Well because of the printing press, people could spread that knowledge everywhere and anywhere a lot easier than before. The church didn't like that but around this time, people kinda stopped caring so much, books on scientific theories were still prnted and distributed. People were teaching themselves to read and they were buying books and newspapers so they could participate in discussions and be educated.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
When John Locke was alive, quite a few people disproved his theories. This dude lived in the time of the English Revolution, when that king was acting up people rebelled and won. In John's writings, he said that people had a right to overthrow the government when it was bad and, as he wrote, a government is good when it A. has limited power and B. when it is liked by all peoples. Now, common people which as you should know is like, the majority of the population, they disagreed. Apparently he wanted 'too much power'.
Source(s): A History of Western Society
Adam Smith came up with his modern day criticisms because of how during this time, Europeans were trying to use the advances in technology to improve their lives and because of the stress on how people as individuals acted. Smith thought, if people wanted to be better by persuing economic things, then the whole economy could improve. He wanted people to stop focusing on that agriculture and to start focusing on entrepenuers and people working in buisness or factories.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
During the scientific revolution, people discovered a heck ton of stuff! Theories were being made and social norms were challenged. Religion used to be the hot topic in Europe becase that was kinda one of the onpy things people had to live for. But because of the Scientific Revolution, so many more things came into view. Religion soon turned into more of a private matter, cause who wants to talk about something that's been discussed to death since the birth of Jesus when you can talk about racial inequality or the various causes of illnesses?
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay
Deism is the belief that there is a God, but he's hands off. Like he made the universe and people and stuff but after he just decided to chill. Kinda like how a watchmaker can make a clock but not have to constantly be there in order for it to work. Voltaire believed in this, also believing that God does not directly punish anyone. Atheism is basically the belief that there is no god. This was a pretty daring thing to believe in at this time, and those wonky religious folk would probably burn you at the stake for that. And skepticism is the doubt that anything can be proven because everything is based off of human's perceptions. David Hume, a Scottish enlightenment figure, believed in this. His ideas weren't exactly popular.
Source: A History of Western Society by McKay
The Dutch are well known for their tolerance, so it's not surprising to know that they were one of the few places a Jew could go to escapre prosecution. And as you may remember from previous chapters, the French allowed some christian minorities, such as the Hugeonauts.
Source(s): A History of Western Society by McKay