Before The Scientific Revolution

1. Before the Scientific Revolution (around the 1500s), multiple scholars/practitioners involved themselves in aspects of what, when put together, came to form science. One of the most important aspects of science at the time, called natural philosophy, was the study of the universe’s nature and purpose, and how it formed/functioned. Medieval theologians connected natural philosophy, based primarily on Greek philosopher Aristotle’s ideas, to Christian doctrines. Revised by Renaissance philosophers, Aristotle’s views also dominated earthly thinking (about motion on earth and other physics). His ideas were accepted, albeit with revisions, for thousands of years because they were logical and because, the way they were interpreted by Christian

The fact that the personal success of scientists and scholars was entirely dependent on making new discoveries made science competitive. Because the government intervened in, supported, and sometimes even directed research, the scientific community became tied to the state. On the other hand, scientists also became critical of the established authorities, which would later inspire thinkers to become critical in other areas of interest as well. Some things, though, didn’t change during the Scientific Revolution. Contemporary methods of studying/approaching nature didn’t question the traditional inequalities that were present between males and females; in some ways, it may even have worsened. For instance nature was often viewed as female, with a need for male experts to chip away at its mystery. New academies still didn’t accept female members (although there were a few

Neither John Locke nor Thomas Hobbes can be considered constitutionalists, though for opposing reasons. A constitutionalist is an advocate for the idea of a balance between the authority of the government and the rights of the citizens. Locke believed that a limited form of government was the best type of government. He criticized absolute monarchies and stated that the sole reason for the existence of the government was to protect the rights of its people. In his form of an ideal state, the government would come second to the general will of the people. This is not what constitutionalists advocated for, as Locke put the rights of the citizens above that of the authority of the government (as opposed to being equally important). On the other hand Hobbes advocated for an absolute monarchy. He believed that this was the only form of government that could control the corrupt nature of humans. In his form of an ideal state, the government would come first, high above the general will of the people. This is also not what the constitutionalists advocated for, as Hobbes placed the authority of the government high above the right of the citizens (again as opposed to being equally