What?: A time period when scientists used experimentation in an effort to define the natural laws of the world.
Where?: Europe
When?: Late 1500’s and early 1600’s
Who?: Scientists Galileo, Copernicus, Newton (the gravity guy) and others.
How?: Questioning, challenging, observing and experimenting in search for the natural laws of the universe.
Why?: The questioning spirit of the Renaissance continued into the Protestant Reformation and Scientific Revolution as man attempted to better understand the world.
Importance:
1) The search for natural laws along with the reformation created conflict with the Church and led to an eventual loss of power for the Church.
2) The loss of power for the Church allowed people to question the legitimacy of the divine right theory.
3) The questioning spirit of the Scientific Revolution continued on in the search for natural rights in the Enlightenment
Related Terms:1) Natural Law, 2) Scientific Method, 3) Legitimacy, 4) Heliocentric, 5) Heretic, 6) Divine Right
Quote: "And yet it moves." allegedly said by Galileo to one of his inquisitors after the inquisitor looked upon the heavens using Galileo's telescope.