Scientific revolution describes the historical change in beliefs and thoughts to differences in institutional and social organization that unroll in Europe between 1500-1700. Typically, the scientific process comprises modern science in the modern day7s when advancements were made in astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. To be specific scientific revolution began in the year 1473 with the heliocentric cosmos invention by Nicholas Copernicus, and it ended between 1642-1727 with Isaac Newton’s mechanical universe universal laws.
The first advancement made was the Copernican heliocentrism. Copernican heliocentrism is a theory assigned to the astronomical model created by Nicolaus Copernicus created in 1543. The idea stated that the sun is motionless and positioned at the universe’s center. At the same time, the earth and other planets orbit it in circular paths at uniform speeds. The model changed the geocentric belief that earth is positioned at the universe center (Bowden, 215-243). Copernicus’s theory challenged platonic instrumentalism and was accepted throughout the earth, changing people’s perceptions. It gave a robust framework on how the universe operates, impacting lives.
Additionally, in 1600s Galilei Galileo considerably contributed to the advancement of mechanics and science. Galileo revolutionized the concepts of the Copernican model by making a famous invention of the telescope and other types of devices that made a tremendous impact on the development of meteorology clocks. On the contrary, Isaac Newton, born in (1642-1727) made further advancements in Galileo’s works. Similar to Galileo, Newton ventured into the field of experimental science, specifically mechanics and Motion. Newton studied the physics of Motion and came up with the three laws of Motion: Law of inertia, which states that bodies remain at Motion unless acted upon by an external force. Second, the Law of mass and acceleration explains the connection between mass, force, and acceleration and Newton’s Law of Motion. These laws explain most concepts on how cars, planes, and water flow.
In contrast, medicine elaborates on the impacts of the scientific revolution in Europe. In 1578-1657 William Harvey made an outstanding contribution by explaining the process of blood circulation in the human body. Typically, Harvey showed that veins and arteries were connected, forming a complete circuit that starts from the heart. This invention greatly impacted medicine as doctors could now understand and develop distinct types of treatment that could be delivered through the blood. Similarly, Andreas Vesalius invented anatomical inventions that helped nurses globally understand anatomical structure and artistic representation of the human body (Bowden, 215-243). Vesalius brought a new perspective in the surgical field by bringing the concept of dissection of human body. Consequently, Anthonie Van Leeuwenhoek developed the microscope in 1676 which brought a radical change in the field of microbiology. Antoine gave a new way of discovering blood cells and microscopic organisms that could not be seen by human eye. The microscope enabled histologists to conduct tissue analysis. Also, it has enabled biologists monitor the ecosystem health.
Chemistry and alchemy were significant in the 16th and 17th centuries. The essence of chemistry is highlighted by an array of chemical research conducted by scholars. Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, and Astronomer Tycho stressed the power of matter. Boyle brought the new ideas that explained how atoms, chemical reactions, and molecule’s function (Schuster, 217-220). Besides, the scientist developed new methods that improved extracting and refining ores. This made a tremendous impact since people could easily extract metals and transform them into precious elements for use.
Religion
Secondly, religious changes in the 15th and 17th centuries have influenced Europe’s global dominance. In the 16th century, there developed a spiritual crisis that caused divisions in Europe. The situation led to the birth of Protestantism. Although Christianity was one group, Catholics and Protestants formed two groups. Martin Luther criticized the church practices and beliefs hence creating alternatives for Protestants and leading to religious struggles for a century in Europe. Although Martin Luther was born from a Catholic family, Luther was against church practices that included indulgences. Therefore, Martin protested the social morals, doctrines, and morality of the Catholic Church. Thus, in 1546, Martin led to the Reformation. Those who followed Martin Luther became the Protestants who believed the Catholic clergy had terrible behaviors and that God’s plan for salvation was not correctly outlined in the Catholic Church (Selderhuis, 142-153). The main aim of Protestants was to restore the purity of Christianity according to the Bible. The debate on Protestants and Catholics led to political and social conflicts.
In 1590, Philip II, the Catholic King, battled with the Protestants in Europe while defending Christianity according to the Catholic View. The development of Protestants led to the freedom of worship since there was an alternative for Christians to follow. There was division in religion from 1560, and it has shaped the choices of Christianity in modern Europe and globally. Protestantism became a Christian group, and Catholics embraced that they could not fight the Protestants (Selderhuis, 142-153). The religious wars allowed Christian leaders to spread faith, retrieve countries that believed in Christianity, rescue Christians in nations that once embraced Christianity, and purify sacred places from human beings’ actions. Religion was ended in 1697. There was the development of three faiths, Christians, Jews, and Muslims that influenced the political status of Europe since religious leaders had an impact on political decisions.
Religion in Europe influences culture, law, philosophy, and society. Also, the religious changes led to the development of the education sectors since they helped develop hospitals, schools, and roads. It led to the modernization of Europe that spread to the whole world. The Protestant Reformation led to challenging Catholic beliefs that allowed Christians to challenge any Christianity beliefs that did not follow the biblical View. Also, transformations in religion led to the Bible being translated into many languages starting with Martin Luther King (Selderhuis, 142-153). Also, The Catholic Church began to spreading Christianity globally, which led to Europe conquering other countries. The missionaries that spread Christianity led to Europe acquiring foreign nations and becoming their colonizers leading to the financial growth of Europe.
Christianity became the dominant religion as rulers converted Native Americans to Christians and encouraged the colonization of the Atlantic. Religious leaders fought for the rights of human beings when they were violated, such as in the slavery trade. The religious leaders ensured that they explored other nations in spreading their beliefs. Also, through the three religions, power was dispersed to eastern, northern, and Western Europe from the Southern part of Europe. During the 15th and 17th centuries, religious changes led to the development of modern Europe, which influenced Western Civilization. Since the Reformation was due to corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic believers changed from nepotism and immorality and promoted Christianity.
Works Cited
Bowden, B. “From feudalism to modernity, Part 2: The revolution in ideas, AD 450–1750.” The Palgrave Handbook of Management History, 2020, pp. 215-243, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-62114-2_102.
Schuster, J. A. “The scientific revolution.” Companion to the History of Modern Science, 2020, pp. 217-242, doi:10.4324/9781003070818-21.
Selderhuis, H. J. “Martin Luther in The Netherlands.” Reformation & Renaissance Review, vol. 21, no. 2, 2019, pp. 142-153, doi:10.1080/14622459.2019.1616248.
