Intellectual Revolutions that Defined Society PDF

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Science, Technology and Society Hand-out title: Intellectual Revolutions that Defined Society Prepared by : Jennifer M. SungaSome Intellectuals and their revolutionary IdeasTo further understand what exactly happened during the scientific revolution, it is important to examine the different individu...

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Science, Technology and Society Hand-out title: Intellectual Revolutions that Defined Society Prepared by : Jennifer M. Sunga Some Intellectuals and their revolutionary Ideas To further understand what exactly happened during the scientific revolution, it is important to examine the different individuals whose ideas have shaken and contested the dominant theories and ideas during this period - the truth of their time. Scientists in all periods of time are driven by their curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity to explore the physical and natural world. Their love for science is driven by their deep passion to know and to discover. Scientists are not driven by clamor for honor and publicity. They are ordinary people doing ordinary things. Some scientists were never appreciated during their times, some were sentenced to death, while others 1. He is considered as one of the , particularly in the field of science. Knowledge about the nature of the universe had been essentially unchanged since the great days of , some before Copernicus came on the scene (Gribbin, 2003). This continued up to the Renaissance period. In one important way, Copernicus resembled the Greek ancient philosophers or thinkers he did not do anything extensive such as observing heavenly bodies or inviting people to test his ideas. . By the time he finished his doctorate degree, . Despite his duty as a canon, he had plenty of time to sustain his interest in astronomy. Copernicus’s idea and model of the universe was essentially complete in 1510. Copernicus was a busy man. His duty as a canon and as a doctor affected his time to formally publish his work and advance his career in astronomy. The publication of his book . In this book, he wanted a model of the universe in which everything moved around a single center at unvarying rates. Copernicus placed the to be . Copernicus is also a courageous man. Although the Copernican model makes a sense now, during those times, it was judged to be heretic and therefore it was unacceptable idea to be taught to Catholics. . 2. He is famous for his . He changed our concept of the world’s creation and its evolution. Darwin is a genius who came from a line of intellectually gifted and wealthy family (Johnson, 2012). He developed his interest in natural history during his time as a student

at . He went to the best schools but was observed to be a mediocre student. He struggled in his study in medicine and ministry, which his father has imposed to him. Darwin’s life soon changed when one of his professors recommended him to join a . Darwin published his book in . This book is considered to be one of the most important works in scientific literature. Darwin collected many significant materials in order to present his theory with overwhelming evidence. His book presented evidence on how . His book was so impressive yet very controversial. He introduced the idea of all . This replaced the dominant views of a religious or biblical design that places human beings in a privileged position of having been created by God. Darwin’s theory of evolution scientifically questioned this view. Darwin’s accomplishments were so diverse that it is useful to distinguish two fields to which he made major contributions: . More than these works, what made Darwin truly remarkable was his courage to challenge religious and unscientific ideas that are deemed to be prominent during those days. His unorthodox way of pursuing science gave more value to evidence-based science. Darwin provided different framework for doing scientific activities. It is a . 3. He is a . He is a towering literary figure and a very talented communicator who did his share to raise the consciousness of the civilized word in psychological matters (Rosenfels, 1980). Freud also made a significant contribution in the scientific world through the development of an important observational method to gather reliable data to study human’s inner life . This method is popularly known as the . The scientific hypothesis he formulated formed the essential fundamental version of this method. For Freud, this method of psychoanalysis is a . Freud is not a traditional thinker. His method of psychoanalysis was proven to be effective in understanding some neurological conditions that were not understood by medicine at that time. His method was unorthodox . Freud was born in a much later period from the scientific revolution but his contribution to knowledge can be seen in many aspects of human scene, including . Whether he is more of a psychologist or a scientist is for people to decide. The fact remains that Freudian ideas and theories are still considered nowadays as a great inspiration to examine human mind and behaviour in a more scientifically accepted way.

Cradles of Early Science • Development of Science in Mesoamerica • Development of Science in Asia • Development of Science in Middle East • Development of Science in Africa Development of Science in Mesoamerica Mesoamerica includes the . There is no doubt that the Mesoamerican region is rich in culture and knowledge prior to the arrival of its European colonizers. is one of the famous civilizations that lasted for approximately

.

Contributions 1. These people are known for their works in . They incorporated their advance understanding of astronomy into their . This allows them to use their . For example, the pyramid in in Mexico is . 2. Mayan knowledge and understanding about celestial bodies was advanced for their timeas evidenced by their knowledge of and . 3. The Mayans are also known for measuring time using . These calendars were very useful for their life especially in and in . 4. The Mayans also developed the technology for growing different crops and building elaborate cities using ordinary machineries and tools. They built with sophisticated waterways to . 5. They used various tools and adapt themselves to innovations especially in the field of arts. Mayans built and devised a made from mineral called . 6. They are also believed to be one of the . 7. One of most scientifically advanced societies in Mesoamerica. They are also famous as one of the world’s first civilization known as the . 8. They were also skilled in mathematics and created a number system based on the numeral 20. They also independently developed the , even before the Romans did. is also famous in Mesoamerica. The Incas made advanced scientific ideas considering their limitations as an old civilization. The following were scientific ideas and tools that they developed to help them in everyday life. Contributions 1. roads paved with stones; 2. stone buildings that surmounted earthquakes and other disasters; 3. irrigation system and technique for storing water for their crops to grow in all types of land;

4. 5. 6. 7.

calendar with 12 months to mark their religious festivals and prepare them for planting season; the first suspension bridge; , a system of that only experts can interpret; and Inca textiles since cloth was one of the specially prized artistic achievements.

has also made substantial contributions to science and technology and to the society as a whole. Contributions 1. . The Aztec put value on education; that is why their children are mandated to get education regardless of their social class, gender, or age. It is an early form of universal or inclusive education. 2. . The Aztec in Mexico developed chocolate during their time. In the Mayan culture, . The . 3. . They used a type of antispasmodic medication that could prevent muscle spasms and relax muscles, which could help during surgery. 4. . It is a form as Aztec technology for agricultural farming in which the . 5. . This enabled them to plan their activities, rituals, and planting season. 6. Invention of the canoe. A light narrow boat used for traveling in water systems. Development of Science in Asia Asia is the biggest continent in the world and the home of many ancient civilizations. It is a host to many cultural, economic, scientific, and political activities of all ages. In the field of science, technology, and mathematics, great civilizations have stood out in India, China, and the Middle East civilizations. These civilizations were incomparable in terms of their contributions to the development of knowledge during their time. is a

and . The Indians creatively developed various ideas and technologies useful in

their everyday lives. Contributions 1. They are known for manufacturing and in . Their is considered to be the . 2. India is famous in medicine. , a system of that originated in ancient India before 2500 BC, is still practiced as a form of alternative medicine. 3. Ancient India is also notable in the field of astronomy. They developed theories on the configuration of the universe, the spherical self-supporting Earth, and the . 4.

Ancient India is also known for their mathematics. The in the Indian subcontinent appeared in the this civilization, designed a ruler, the .

. The people of and

5. Indian astronomer and mathematician (476-550), in his Aryabhatiya introduced a number of , tables and techniques, as well as . China is one of the ancient civilizations with substantial contributions in many areas of life like medicine, astronomy, science, mathematics, arts, philosophy, and music, among others. Chinese civilizations have greatly influenced many of its neighbour countries like Korea, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and other countries that belong to the old Silk Road. Contributions 1. Chinese are known for , a product of centuries of experiences and discovery of the Chinese people. They discovered various medical properties and uses of different plants and animals to cure human illness. An example is the practice of . 2. In terms of technology, Chinese are known to develop many tools. Among the famous discoveries and inventions of the Chinese civilizations were , , , and that became known in the West only by the end of the Middle Ages. They also invented other tools like , and , among others. They also developed a design of , invented the , and developed a . 3. Chinese also made significant records on supernovas, lunar and solar eclipses, and comets, which were carefully recorded and preserved to understand better the heavenly bodies and their effects to our world. 4. Chinese are also known in . This made them more prepared in times of natural calamities. . With the spread of Islam in the 7 th and 8 centuries, a period of Muslim scholarship, or what is called the Golden Age of Islam lasted until the 13th century. The common language of Arabic, access to Greek texts from the Byzantine Empire, and their proximity to India were contributory to intellectualization of the Muslims and provided their scholars knowledge to create innovations and develop new ideas. But contrary to the Greeks, Muslim scientists placed greater value on science experiments rather than plain thought experiments. This led to the development of the scientific method in the Muslim world, and made significant improvements by using experiments to distinguish between competing scientific theories set within a generally empirical orientation. th

Contributions of famous Muslim Scientists 1. is regarded as the especially for his empirical proof of the . 2. gave his name to concept the while the term , the beginning of the title of one of his publications. What is now known as the Arabic Numeral System originally came from India, but Muslim mathematicians did make several refinements to the number system, such as the . 4. - considered to be the “ ” 5. - pioneered the and was the . His most notable works in medicine, the and , were in both the Muslim world and in Europe during

the 17th century. Among his many contributions are the . Development of Science in Africa. . Science also emerged in this part of the planet long before the Europeans colonized it. The history of science and mathematics show that similar to other ancient civilizations, the early civilizations in Africa are knowledge producers too. Contributions 1. The has contributed immensely and made significant advances in the fields of , , and . For example, the was a product of of the Egyptians living along the Nile River. 2. Egypt was known to be a , which is known as the . They tried to and , and applied important components such as , , , and . These components displayed strong parallels to the basic empirical method of studying science. 3. Astronomy was also famous in the African region. For instance, documents show that Africans used : , , and , or a combination of the three. 4. was also known in the African regions during the ancient times. They invented used in their homes, in agriculture, and in building their magnificent architectures. 5. Mathematics was also known to be prominent in the life of early people in the African continent. The from the , which may have been a , is considered to be the dated from .

References: Serafica, J. et.al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Printing Company, Inc., First Edition, 2018....