The Scientific Revolution: Changing Society's View Of The Catholic Church

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xMeghan Economos HIST 102 014 Marek Suszko The Scientific Revolution changed the way populations viewed the world. Before the Scientific Revolution, people looked to authority, like the monarchy or the church, to explain why things were the way they were. With a newfound emphasis on experimentation, observation, and analysis, society changed its view on nature. Many astronomers of the time observed the pattern of the stars, sun, and planets, leading to new discoveries that would disprove that of the Catholic Church. Many different astronomers observed and analyzed the sky, discovering a new, heliocentric model of the universe, and changing society's view of our solar system forever. These astronomers faced political and religious backlash, but ultimately, the Scientific Revolution would leave the world with a more logical way of facing the unknown. Ancient and medieval astronomers believed that the earth was the center of the universe and that celestial …show more content…

The Catholic Church, for example, resented the heliocentric model because it contradicted the medieval Christian view that the stationary earth was surrounded by the heavens. The Catholic Church even persecuted those who made discoveries that contrasted with the church, like Galilie. Over time, the Church’s position evolved, and eventually accepted the heliocentric model. Other groups supported the new discoveries. For example, the educated elites supported the new findings and used the astronomical findings to support the scientific revolution. While the scientific revolution surrounding astronomy upset certain groups, the revolution paved the way for numerous discoveries across Europe. The scientific revolution promoted new ways of thinking and encouraged Europeans to ask questions and seek answers. The revolution encouraged observation and analysis over authority; for example, the authority of the Catholic Church was cast aside as people searched for true