What does this quote about the scientific revolution mean?
“The Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries also entailed radical changes in man’s perception of and relations with the world, with society and with his fellow man.” Please help!!! I need to write an essay explaining this quote for history and I have no idea where to start.
I’ll be as brief as possible.
Perception of the world – how people saw the world they lived in. Roughly, instead of seeing it as a place permeated with unseen forces (including spiritual ones) which could have unpredictable results, they began to revert (though without crediting Aristotle) to Aristotle’s view of it: as ruled by comprehensible and predictable natural laws. Like causes in like situations were likely to have like outcomes.
Relations with it – the new viewpoint made it possible systematically to exploit the world’s resources, and knowingly to devise ways of doing so. In a word, not only science, but engineering and technology were developing. In fact, the technological revolution came before, and largely influenced, the scientific one.
Relations with his fellow man – in a technological age, society was bound to, and did, change from the traditional pattern of agriculture and handicrafts. Patterns of trade (exploration led to expanded overseas trade, with distant and alien cultures), new industries, new ways of organising industry and employment all led to a new system of social relations.
Hope this helps.