Comparing The Scientific Revolution And Enlightenment

The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment paved the way for people to think about knowledge differently through the development of independent reasoning, emphasis on discovering truths separate from religion, and the rise of individuality. The Scientific Revolution had sparked changes in ways of thinking of knowledge by emphasizing that knowledge isn’t always derived from religion. For example, Galileo Galilei, a rising physicist of that time, argued that “the Bible is not chained in every expression to conditions as strict as those which govern all physical effects” (Galilei) in order to defend the heliocentric idea that many people opposed at the time. In making this comment, Galileo demonstrates that science and religion can coexist, and there are times when these

William Harvey, a scientist who specialized in physiology during the 17th Century, stated that people should “never regard themselves as already so thoroughly informed, but that they welcome further information” (R. Willis). His views reflected people’s narrow-mindedness during that time, and he encouraged people to view knowledge as a never-ending truth awaiting our discovery. This also reveals the change in people’s motivation to acquire knowledge. In addition, the Enlightenment created a dynamic shift in people’s thoughts about knowledge through the emphasis of personal reasoning and not being dependent on others. For instance, philosopher Immanuel Kant highlighted the importance of practicing own reasoning, as he encouraged people to depart from “tutelage”, or dependence on others, and to “Have courage to use your own reason” (L.W. Beck). In other words, knowledge should be a self-driven process because it will lead to an authentic use of rationalism. This shows how people began to think of knowledge as a process of independent thought rather than carrying from