The Seventeenth Century.ppt

The 17th Century A Time of Great Advance In the 17th century Europe advanced from the Middle Ages to the modern times. Almost everything that distinguishes the modern world from earlier centuries is attributable to science, which achieved its most spectacular triumphs in the 17th century The 17th century saw the intense political struggle, shown in revolution in England and absolute monarchy in France, which marked the growth of modern state power. The triumphs of science revived human pride. This new outlook shattered the deeply established Scholasticism经院哲学and brought about modern philosophy, which was materialism in nature. “The modern world, so far as mental outlook 思想见解is concerned, begins in the seventeenth century.” ---- Bertrand Russell Scientific Revolution A period of major scientific change Forerunners of Modern Science Nicolaus Copernicus(1473-1543) He did not belong to the 17th century, but he was the immediate forerunner of modern science. His heliocentric theory 日心说 was put forward only as a hypothesis假设. Contradicted not only the religious doctrines, but also common sense. No conclusive evidence. Copernicus’s hypothesis Supported, clarified and amended the Copernican system Turned the system from a general description into a precise mathematical formula The three laws formed the basis of all modern planetary astronomy Led to Newton’s discovery of the laws of gravitation Galileo Galilei伽利略 “Father of Modern Astronomy “Father of Modern Physics “Father of Science improved the telescope, a variety of astronomical observations experimental work helped establishing the modern scientific method. His work, a significant break from that of Aristotle . Law of inertia 惯性定律 ( every body, if left alone, will continue to move in a straight line with uniform velocity… ) Law of falling bodies 自由落体定律 ( when a body is falling freely, its acceleration is constant … and the acceleration is the same for all bodies,…) forerunner of the