Scientific Revolution

        The Scientific Revolution also made advancements in the field of mechanics. The two scientists who made notable advancements in the field of mechanics were Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. Galileo made advancements not only in astronomy, but also in mechanics. Galileo made modifications to Aristotle’s theory of motion. Aristotle stated that an object remained at rest unless a force acted upon it. He also stated that the object would move at a constant rate if the force was constantly exerted and that the object would stop moving if the force was removed. Galileo made two significant modifications to the theory of motion. Through several experiments, Galileo proved that if a force was applied on an object, the object would move at an accelerated speed instead of a constant speed. Furthermore, Galileo stressed the principle of inertia, which stated that a object in motion continued in motion unless it was deflected by an outer force. Thus, Galileo disproved the Aristotle’s theory of motion. The other scientist who made a significant impact on the field of mechanics was Isaac Newton. In his Principia, Newton wrote about his three laws of motion. The first law motion was that every object continued in a state of rest or uniform motion unless a force was exerted on it. The second law stated that the rate of change of motion of an object was proportional to the force acting upon it. The third law of motion stated that to every action there was always an equal and opposite reaction. Isaac Newton associated his three laws of motion with the planets in the universe. He stated that his three laws of motion governed the motion of the planets. His most important theory in explaining that was the law of gravitation. The law of gravitation gave an explanation to the planet’s continued elliptical orbit around the sun. In the law of gravitation, Newton stated that all the objects in the universe were attracted to each other with gravity. Gravity was directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distances between them. In conclusion, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton amended ancient theories pertaining to mechanics and made extraordinary contributions by establishing new, accurate theories.

        The Scientific Revolution also made significant impacts on the field of medicine. The three most important scientists of the medical field were Paracelsus, Andreas Vesalius, and William Harvey. During the Scientific Revolution, everything in the medical field was based on the principles of the Greek physician Galen. Galen published made many erroneous principles. In his principles on medicine, Galen stated that there were two separate blood systems. The first blood system controlled muscular activities and contained bright red blood that moved upward and downward through the arteries. The second blood system controlled the digestive system and contained dark red blood that moved through the veins. Galen also stated that diseases were caused by the imbalance of the four humors. The first humor was the blood, which was considered to be warm and moist. The second humor was the yellow bile, which was considered to be warm and dry. The third humor was the phlegm, which was cold and moist. The fourth humor was the black bile, which was cold and dry. Galen believed that bleeding and purging could cure patients. Galen also stated erroneously that the blood was pumped from the liver not the heart. Paracelsus, Andreas Vesalius, and William Harvey corrected three of his most erroneous principles. Paracelsus rejected Galen’s belief in the four humors and advocated a macrocosm-microcosm theory, which stated that all parts of the universe were within each person. Based on this theory, Paracelsus stated that the chemical reactions of the universe were reenacted in the body. Thus, Paracelsus believed that diseases were caused by the imbalance of chemicals in each specific organ and could be cured by chemical remedies. When curing his patients, Paracelsus paid careful attention to the proper dosage of the remedy. Paracelsus established the basis of homeopathy and holistic medicine. Another important scientist in the medical field of the Scientific Revolution was Vesalius. Vesalius gained his evidence for his theories through careful dissections of the human body. During his dissections, Vesalius carefully examined each organ and the general structure of the human body. In On the Fabric of the Human Body, Vesalius stated that the heart not the liver pumped blood, but Vesalius adhered to a few of Galen’s principles. He adhered to the principle that there were two blood systems in the body. The third important scientist of the Scientific Revolution was William Harvey. He corrected Galen’s principle that there were two blood systems. In On the Motion of the Heart and Blood, William Harvey stated that the heart not the liver pumped blood and that the there was only one type of blood system. The same blood flowed through the veins and the arteries. Thus, the three scientists Paracelsus, Andreas Vesalius, and William Harvey gave a decisive blow to Galen’s erroneous medical principles.

        In summary, the Scientific Revolution was characterized by incredible advancements in astronomy, mechanics and medicine. During the Scientific Revolution, many misconceptions in the fields of astronomy, mechanics, and medicine were corrected by brilliant scientists. The Scientific Revolution was a significant intellectual movement that helped Europe lead into a greater intellectual period known as the Enlightenment.