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CHAPTER 2 INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, the students should
1. Discuss the paradigm shifts through history;
2. Explain how the Intellectual Revolution changed the way how humans
see the world; and
3. Describe the technological advancements that happened in the
information age.
4.
The previous chapter tackled how historical antecedents have affected the
course of science and technology. It has been established that most, if not all,
of the discoveries and inventions in science and technology during each time
period were due to human needs and wants. Brilliant minds responded to the
call of the times and created things that could make life easier for the people.
There have also been instances when advancements in science and
technology changed people’s perceptions and beliefs. Much of these events
happened in a period now known as the Intellectual Revolution.
The developments during the Intellectual Revolution showed how society
was transformed by science and technology. This chapter aims to establish
the interaction between science and technology and society, cementing
further the relationship as introduced in the first chapter.
COPERNICAN REVOLUTION
In the early times, people questioned what created days and nights.
They wanted to understand what heavenly bodies like stars, moons, and
planets are. The invention of the telescope allowed the people to take a peek
at the outer space, but more importantly, it also intrigued them to know what
was actually out there.
Many Greek philosophers and intellectuals wrote about planets in an
attempt to explain the movements of heavenly bodies and their effects on the
world as they knew it. Many of these philosophers agreed that planets moved
around in circular motion, and that these movements created days and
nights, among others. A famous philosopher and astronomer, Claudius
Ptolemy, stated that the planets, as well as the sun and the moon, moved in
a circular motion around the Earth. The sun and moon's revolution explained
the existence of days and nights. He believed that the Earth was at the center-
a concept known as geocentrism. Ptolemy’s geocentric model was widely
accepted by the people and was one of the greatest discoveries of that time.
In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish mathematician and
astronomer, challenged the Ptolemaic model. He introduced a new concept
known as heliocentrism, which suggested that the center of the Solar System

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was not the Earth but actually the sun. This idea was rejected at first by the
public. It appalled many since their religious belief had taught them that the
Earth was created first before all other things. Copernicus was even
persecuted as a heretic because his teachings were against what was widely
accepted by religion. After some time, astronomers realized that the
Copernican model simplified the orbits for planets. It also answered issues
that could not be explained using the geocentric model. Other works that
supported this model started to emerge as well. It was eventually accepted by
the people in a period which was called the birth of modern astronomy. This
era began what was known as the scientific revolution which resulted in the
transformation of society’s thoughts and beliefs.
DARWINIAN REVOLUTION
The Darwinian revolution was considered to be one of the most
controversial intellectual revolutions of its time. In 1859, Charles Darwin, an
English naturalist, biologist, and geologist, published his book, On the Origin
of Species. In this book, Darwin introduced the theory of evolution, which
posited that populations pass through a process of natural selection in which
only the fittest would survive. He stated that organisms have the ability to
adapt to their environment and would gradually change into something that
would be more competitive to survive, a process known as evolution. However,
this theory became very controversial as people perceived it to be
contradictory to the church’s teachings that the source of life is a powerful
creator. The theory emerged at a time when most of the population believed
and accepted the biblical version of the Earth’s creation. Because of this
conflict, the people were divided some believed that the theory explained the
origin of life, but the religious and the faithful strongly refuted it. It even
sparked a massive debate between science and religion. It was only after some
time that people came to understand that Darwin’s theory of evolution was
not in fact against the teachings of the church and both can coexist.
FREUDIAN REVOLUTION
In the past, the field of psychology was always classified under
philosophy. Psychology was considered more of an art rather than a science.
In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud was able to change people’s
perception of psychology with his revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis is the study that explains human behavior. In his
theory, Freud explained that there are many conscious and unconscious
factors that can influence behavior and emotions. He also argued that
personality is a product of three conflicting elements: id, ego, and superego.
Science hardliners brushed off the legitimacy of psychoanalysis as a science
since its concepts were more philosophical and supernatural. Many believed
that Freud’s theory had no scientific basis as no empirical or experimental
data could support it.

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Figure 1.34 Sigmund Freud
Despite criticisms, Freud still continued to work on refining his theory
and in fact tried to explain how psychoanalysis can be a clinical method in
treating some mental disorders. Soon enough, people were able to understand
the concepts of psychoanalysis, which eventually resulted in classifying
psychology as a science.
These three revolutionizing theories are just some of the many scientific
ideas that transformed and molded societies and beliefs. The changes they
brought to the perspectives and perceptions of the scientific community and
the public are evidence of science and technology’s link to humanity. Through
scientific research and experimentations, people will continue to deepen their
understanding of the world and the universe.

RESEARCH WORK: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE RESULT OF INNOVATION

(50pts)
Direction: Research on the positive results brought about by
innovations and technological advances in the information age while the other
should focus on the negative. Report your findings in class. Afterwards, reflect
on the presentation and come up with five rules or guidelines in using the
different media of information to ensure that humanity will reap the rewards
of information age.
You will be graded according to this rubric:

Criteria 5 Points 4 Points 3 Points 2 Points

The research is The research is

The research is
comprehensive, detailed, The research
adequate and
well-organized, organized, and lacks coherence
shows some
and demonstrates a and depth in
understanding
demonstrates a good exploring the
of the positive
deep understanding positive and
Research and negative
understanding of of the positive negative results
Quality results of
the positive and and negative of innovation.
innovation.
negative results results of Sources are
Sources are
of innovation. innovation. limited and
somewhat
Sources are Sources are occasionally
credible and
credible and mostly credible irrelevant.
relevant.
relevant. and relevant.

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 Criteria 5 Points 4 Points 3 Points 2 Points

The analysis is The analysis

The analysis is
insightful, lacks depth or
comprehensive
thorough, and The analysis fails to
and presents a
presents a adequately adequately
well-rounded
balanced examines both examine both
examination of
examination of positive and positive and
both positive
Analysis of both positive and negative results negative results
and negative
Findings negative results of innovation. of innovation.
results of
of innovation. The student The student
innovation. The
The student supports some does not
student
effectively of their findings consistently
supports their
supports their with evidence. support their
findings with
findings with findings with
evidence.
evidence. evidence.

The student
The student's
engages the The student The student
presentation
audience with a delivers a clear delivers an
lacks
clear, logical, and and organized adequate
organization
captivating presentation. presentation,
and may not
presentation. They use visual although
Presentation effectively
They effectively aids improvements
Skills engage the
use visual aids, appropriately in organization,
audience. Use of
maintain eye and maintain use of visual
visual aids and
contact, and good eye contact aids, and eye
eye contact is
demonstrate with the contact may be
minimal or
confidence in audience. necessary.
ineffective.
their delivery.

The student
The student The student The student
demonstrates
demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates
limited
deep good some
understanding
understanding of understanding understanding
of the
the guidelines for of the guidelines of the
guidelines for
Reflection using different for using guidelines for
using different
on media in the different media using different
media in the
Guidelines information age in the media in the
information age
for Media and effectively information age information age
and struggles to
Use reflects on their and reflects on and attempts to
reflect on their
presentation. their reflect on their
presentation.
They provide presentation. presentation.
They provide
insightful and They provide They provide
unclear or
well-supported relevant basic
incomplete
guidelines. guidelines. guidelines.
guidelines.

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REFERENCE:

McNamara, D.J. (2018). Science Technology, and Society. C & E

Publishing, Incorporated. ISBN: 9789719809357. [Google Books]
(https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=KgvsuQEACAAJ)

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