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HI 18 Notes 12/17/2013 6:31:00 PM 

A Paradigm Shift

  scientists were given the capacity to have their own perspectives

  pluralization of knowledge

  inductive method of modern science

 

Church never found a problem with alternative perspectives – aslong as there was truth in them; science and religion coexisted

Galileo

 

bought the design of the telescope from its inventor and improved

on it – to see for his own eye the universe

  was profoundly disturbed by what he saw (faith in God was shaken)

o  Jupiter had moons (implying that we are not the only planet

that is revolved around; we are not the center of the universe

o  the moon (symbol of beauty) was a barren wasteland (no

man on the moon; not beautiful at all)

o  Sun (symbol of divine illumination) had sunspots

  believed that data was the primary source of truth and that the

Bible does not tell us what nature is (no way that science and

religion could harmonize)

o  extreme empiricistic attitude

  data is the primary (but not the only) source of truth

 

if the Bible is wrong about scientific truths, then it iswrong about nature

  the Scripture can only tell us about religious truths

  accused with heresy

o  1st time: in 1615 (matter was resolved quickly because he

backed down)

o  2nd time: his friend became the Pope; allowed Galileo to write

but with 2 conditions

  leave the book open-ended (don’t choose a side) 

 

make sure not to hurt anybody

  published the book but violated the 2 conditions given to him

o  was very biased and said that those who believed in the

geocentric theory were fools (put his words in the mouth of

the Pope)

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o 

forced to recant and spend the rest of his days in house

arrest

o  spent the rest of his life saying sorry (to save his soul)

  the view of the Galileo affair by history books: the Church trying to

suppress science (a very bad reading and misinterpretation); “Galileo was an ass”  

  condemnation of heliocentricism was not fully lifted until 1835

  many still believed that religion and science could coexist (no

opposition)

o  Galileo started the feud between science and religion

Rene Descartes

  father of modern philosophy and analytic geometry

   “how can we be sure of anything/what are the criteria for

certainty?”  

  senses cannot be trusted (started doubting everything, because

everything is possible)

o  there is a formless thing out there (the only sure thing that

exists)

o   “as long as I think, I exist”  

o   “if anything is true, it has to be rational”  

 

e.g. proving the existence of Jesus Christ: must uselogic and reason

criteria for truth: reason

Sir Isaac Newton

  developed the laws of motion through mathematics and reason

  he devoted just as much time to theology as he did science

  God is the limit of perfection (we can never reach infinity – how he

came up with differential calculus)

 

choose only the most rational theory (among the many possible

theories)

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The Enlightenment 12/17/2013 6:31:00 PM 

a continuation of:

  the reformation

  the commercial revolution

  the scientific revolution

revival of Greco-roman ideaspeople read the Greco-roman texts with the perspective of the time

synthesis of old ideas with new attitudes

foundation of modern western political thought

reformation undermined traditional sources of knowledge

rationalism = reason + experience

it doesn’t matter who the proposition comes from as long as you use your

own reason and logic to put it to the test

no absolute truth

modern concept of tolerance and freedom  relativism

no to:

intolerance

abuse of power

oppression

commercial revolution also affected the way people think politically

the market

created by capitalism

public and common

egalitarian

perfect competition

autonomous

government was interfere as little as possible

enlightenment is a middle class movement

citizen has ultimate power and authority

arbiter of the government

responsible for decision-making

scientific revolution

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other thinkers wanted to use reason and scientific method to examine

human society and relationships

universal laws that govern ideal society

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  12/17/2013 6:31:00 PM