The Scientific Revolution

The beginnings of the Scientific Revolution date back to 1543, when Copernicus first suggested that the sun was the center of the universe. While this was said to be a radical idea, the ideas and philosophies that belonged to Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes were far more radical. Both men are considered to be revolutionaries of the period.

Bacon's work Novum Organum, Latin for "new instrument" was first published in 1620, the title was referring to the human mind. The laws of nature can only be discovered by "questioning nature herself and not by arguing..." Bacon said. He proposed a new method of "induction" to arrive at answers. Previously, scientists had started with a broad question or subject and skipped around until they came to a specific answer. This often led to overlooking or leaving out important facts and ideas. Bacon said that induction was the proper way to go about "driving out Idols of the Mind," which was the discussion of prejudices. Bacon felt this was slowing down the progression of the sciences.

Bacon believed that another reason that the sciences were not progressing was because there was no fixed end. He said that the "true and genuine End of the Sciences" is to enrich human life with "new