12 mark essay

Factor of attitudes
The new approach towards science had a major impact on everything science related like the structure of the
body and medicine. Everything people already knew about science was taught to them by the church, people
were brought up only believing Galen’s theories. When doctors went to university, they spent 7 years only
learning what Galen said and believed it was all true they never carried out any dissections unless it was to
prove Galen right. People never challenged what church taught them out of fear of going to Hell in the
afterlife, but once some people got over the fear of going to hell a group of natural philosophers (now known
as the royal society) began discussing the ideas of scientists who began doing their own experiments and
began challenging Galen’s ideas and had a massive impact on science by doing so. The royal society also had
their own laboratory and equipment to test these new theories and they published Robert Hooke’s
Micrographia on the first of November 1665 this book contained landmark drawing made using a microscope
and including the famous flea. The book coined the word cell as a biological term. Overall, I think the factor of
attitudes had the biggest impact on science in the renaissance because people completely changed their views
and did the unthinkable by challenging Galen’s ideas

Factor of individuals
The factor of attitudes features the work of the three most important scientists during the renaissance:
Thomas Syndenham also known as ‘the English Hippocates’ was best known for being the author of
Obsercationes Medicae among his many achievements was also the discover of the disease known as
Sydenham’s Chorea. He also believed each disease is different and therefore requires a different remedy to
treat it. He also said giving the body time to rest and giving patients good food or drink was better than
bleeding or purging. Andreas Vesalius is best known for discovering the fact that Galen’s anatomy could be
proven wrong Vesalius was a determined and intensive man so much so to the point where he stole a
criminal’s body just to dissect it to attempt to prove his own theories right. He was also a teacher at the
university of Padua which was massively important because they encouraged dissections, he discovered things
like that the jaw had one bone, not two like Galen said, the breastbone has three parts not seven and blood
doesn’t flow to the heart through invisible holes like Galen said and rather that such holes do not exist. And
finally, William Harvey who was massively influential due to his discovery of the circulation of the blood and he
also thought for himself and didn’t believe everything Galen said Harvey was a student at the university of
Padua which as I mentioned earlier was important due to dissections being encouraged.

Factor of technology
The factor of technology was massively influential because of the brilliant invention of the Printing Press. The
printing press allowed scientists to share their ideas and discoveries around the globe. This led to other
scientists getting inspired by them or it allowed them to challenge the ideas that were being shared around the
world which all around helped improve science and medicine massively. But aside from the amazing discovery
of the printing press there was also the water pump and microscopes which allowed scientists to learn more
about viruses and diseases and the water pump helped with the theory of the blood circulation. Overall, I think
the factor of technology was massively important, however the factor of attitudes is still more important
because if nobody challenged each other it would all be pointless.