Chapter 3

Intellectual Revolutions That Defined Society

 Intellectual Revolution is the time period when advancements of S & T changed people's
perceptions and beliefs.
• The development during the intellectual revolution showed how society was transformed by S & T.
What is a Paradigm?
‒ A typical example or pattern of something.
‒ A distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and
standards for what constitutes legitimate contributions to a field.
What is a Paradigm Shift?
‒ Is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.
‒ Another expression for more significant changes within belief systems.
Historical Examples of Paradigms
• Society/ Ethics
– Slavery
– Role of Children in Society
– Child Labor
– Male Superiority
– Reading and the Control over information
– The Reformation
• Natural Science
– Theory of Evolution
– Heliocentric Theory
– Plate Tectonics— create a physical model of the Earth's structure

– Albert Einstein’s space-time is not fixed or objective— subject to observer’s state of motion relative
to another object.

Variables that Influence the Development of Science Ideas, Science Discoveries, and Technology
Creativity SCIENTISTS SCIENCE IDEAS
Curiosity Passion to know SCIENCE DISCOVERIES
Critical Thinking Passion to discover TECHNOLOGY

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

• He was born on 19 February 1473.
• He was appointed as canon at Frombork Cathedral in Poland.
• He was strongly influenced by a book entitled Epitome published in 1946 by Johannes Müeller which
contains Müeller's observations of the heavens and some commentary on the works of Ptolemy.
Copernican Revolution
• The invention of the telescope allowed people to take a peek at the outer space.
– Claudius Ptolemy believed that the Earth was at the center - a concept known as "Geocentrism”.
• Nicolas Copernicus challenged the Ptolemaic model and introduced the concept known as
"Heliocentrism."
‒ Sun is the center of the solar system having the earth revolving around it.
• In his model, Copernicus outlined two kinds of planetary motion:
1. the orbits of Venus and Mercury lay inside the orbit of the Earth, thus, closer to the Sun; and
2. the orbits of Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter lay outside the Earth's orbit, thus, farther from the Sun.
Intellectual Revolutions That Defined Society
• Copernicus model was judged to be heretic and therefore it was an unacceptable idea to be taught to
Catholics.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
• Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809.
• He developed his interest in natural history when he was a student at Shrewsbury School.
• His life was changed when one of his professors recommended him to join a five-year voyage through
the HMS Beagle on the Islands of Galapagos.
Darwinian Revolution
• Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution.
• He published his book "On the Origin of Species" in 1589.
– This book presented evidence on how species evolved over time and presented traits and
adaptation that differentiate species.
In his book "The Descent of Man", he introduced the idea of all organic life, including human beings,
under the realm of evolutionary thinking.
– 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.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
• He was born on May 6, 1856.
• He developed the Method of Psychoanalysis.
– A scientific way to study the human mind and neurotic illness.
– Had a great impact on the scientific way of understanding human nature
Freudian Revolution
• His method of psychoanalysis was proven to be effective in understanding some neurological conditions
that were not understood by medicine at that time.
• His ideas and theories are still considered nowadays as a great inspiration to examine human mind and
behavior in a more scientifically accepted way.