STS Lesson 1

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS THAT

DEFINED SOCIETY

Prepared by:
Doughlas C. Adona, MAHSE
UPHS-PdP
Scientific Revolution
1. Science as an idea
2. Science as an intellectual activity
3. Science as a body of knowledge
4. Science as a personal and social activity

The idea of scientific revolution is claimed to have started in the early 16th century up to 18th century in
Europe. Why in Europe?
 The invention of the printing machine
 blooming intellectual activities done in various places of learning
 the growing number of scholars in various fields of human interests

Scientific Revolution
 was the period of enlightenment when the developments in the fields of mathematics, physics,
astronomy, biology, and chemistry transformed the views of society about nature.
 the ideas generated during this period enabled the people to reflect, rethink, and reexamine their
beliefs and their way of life.
 was the golden age for people committed to scholarly life in science but it was also a deep trying
moment to some scientific individuals that led to their painful death or condemnation from the
religious institutions who tried to preserve their faith, religion, and theological views.
Some Intellectuals and their Revolutionary Ideas
 Scientists in all periods of time are driven by their curiosity, critical thinking,
and creativity to explore the physical and natural world. Their love for
science is driven by their deep passion to know and discover.

Nicolaus Copernicus
 One of the Renaissance men, particularly in the field of science.
 He was a canon and a doctor.
 His ideas were an example of what is presently called as a thought
experiment.
 Copernicus was strongly influenced by a book entitled Epitome published in
1946 by a German author, Johannes Mueller.
 Epitome - this book contains Mueller’s observations of the heavens and
some commentary on earlier works especially that of Ptolemy.
 He circulated a summary of his ideas to his few close friends in a manuscript
called Commentariolus (Little Commentary).
 was the author of the book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the
Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres). It was published in 1543 and often
cited as the start of scientific revolution.
 In his book, he wanted a model of the universe in which everything moved
around a single center at varying rates. Copernicus place the Sun to be the
centerpiece of the universe.
 During ancient times, Copernican model was judged to be heretic and
therefore it was an unacceptable idea to be taught to Catholics. The Catholic
Church banned the Copernican model and was ignored by Rome for the rest
of the 16th century.
Charles Darwin
 is famous for his theory of evolution.
 Darwin was described as a genius who came from a line of intellectually gifted and wealthy family.
 According to Johnson, Darwin went to the best schools but was observed to be a mediocre student. He struggled in
his study in medicine and ministry, which his father has imposed to him. Darwin’s life soon changed when one of
his professors recommended him to join a five-year voyage through HMS Beagle on the Islands of Galapagos.
 he published his book The Origin of Species in 1589. This book is considered to be one of the most important
works in scientific literature.
 Darwin’s observational skills as a scientist were extraordinary that moved beyond the realms of plants and animals
into the realms of humans.
 He was the author of the book The Descent of Man that was so impressive yet very controversial.
 Major contributions: evolutionary biology and philosophy of science.
 What made Darwin truly remarkable was his courage to challenge religious and unscientific ideas that are deemed
to be prominent during those days. His unorthodox way of pursuing science gave more value to evidence-based
science.
 Darwin provided a different framework for doing scientific activities. It is a science marked by observation and
experiment.
Sigmund Freud
 Freud is a famous figure in the field of psychology.
 Austrian, doctor, Father of Psychoanalysis
 Rosenfels (1980) also described him as a towering literary figure
and a very talented communicator who did his share to raise the
consciousness of the civilized world in psychological matters.
 Also made significant contribution in the scientific world through
the development of an important observational method to gather
reliable data to study human’s inner life. This method is popularly
known as the method of psychoanalysis.
 Method of psychoanalysis – is a scientific way to study human mind
and neurotic illness.
 Freud is not a traditional thinker.
 His method was unorthodox – focusing on human sexuality and
the evil nature of man.
 his contribution to knowledge can be seen in many aspects of the
human scene, including art, literature, philosophy, politics, and
psychotherapy.
According to him, people are born with a certain number of instincts or drives (human instinctive behavior)
 The human mind has 3 aspects which influence behavior:
1. Ego
2. Superego
3. Id
 Ego – conscious part of the mind (Rational Self). Decides what action to take for positive means and what
to do base on what is believed is the right thing to do. Aware of reality.
 Superego – unconscious part of the mind that acts as our conscience. Reminds us of what we should do.
 Id – unconscious part of the mind (this part of the mind seeks to bring us pleasure). Primitive parts of our
personality including aggression and sexual drives.
 The ID and SUPEREGO are in constant conflict, your drive tells you to do one thing, while society tells to
do something else. If you don’t resolve this conflict between the ID and SUPEREGO, you may experience
unhappiness or mental distress. Thus, in order to understand motivation, you must understand what is in
your unconscious memory. This is the basis for PSYCHOANALYSIS.
Think About These Questions:
1. What is the contribution of Copernicus in the philosophy of
science?
2. Do you think thought experiment is still useful in science in
the present time?
3. Do you think the Church should intervene in scientific
activities?
4. What is Darwin’s contribution to modern science?
5. How can Darwin’s evolutionary theory influence the
following fields in modern times:
• Economy
• Agriculture
• Political Science Religion
6. By looking for other sources and literatures, what are the
controversies or questions on Freud’s ideas?
7. How can you describe Freudian ideas as a scientist?
8. If Freud is still alive, what do you think are the major
changes he would make to his theory?
 CRADLES OF EARLY SCIENCE
A. Development of Science in Mesoamerica
• Maya Civilization
• Inca Civilization
• Aztec Civilization
B. Development of Science in Asia
• India
• China
• Middle East Countries
C. Development of Science in Africa
A. Development of Science in Mesoamerica

Maya Civilization
 is one of the famous civilizations that lasted for approximately 2,000 years.
 These people are known for their works in astronomy of which they incorporated their advance understanding of
astronomy into their temples and other religious structures that allow them use their temples for astronomical
observation.
Example:
 The pyramid at Chechen Itza in Mexico is situated at the location of the Sun during the spring and fall equinoxes.
 Mayan knowledge and understanding about celestial bodies was advanced for their time, as evidenced by their
knowledge of predicting eclipse and using astrological cycles in planting and harvesting.
 They are also known for measuring time using two complicated calendar systems.
 These calendars were very useful for their life especially in planning activities and in observing their religious rituals and
cultural celebrations.
 also developed the technology for growing different crops and building elaborate cities using ordinary machineries and
tools.
 They built hydraulics system with sophisticated waterways to supply water to different communities.
 They used various tools and adapt themselves to innovations especially in the field of arts.
 Mayans built looms for weaving cloth and devised a rainbow of glittery paints made from mineral called mica.
 They are also believed to be one of the first people to produce rubber products 3,000 years ago before Goodyear received
its patent in 1844.
 The Mayans are considered one of the most scientifically advanced societies in Mesoamerica.
 One of the world’s first civilizations to use a writing system known as the Mayan hieroglyphics.
 They were also skilled in mathematics and created a number system based on the numeral 20. They independently
developed the concept of zero and positional value.
Mayan Calendar Mayan Pyramid

Mica
Mayan Hieroglyphics
Inca Civilization
 Contributions:
1. Roads paved with stones;
2. Stone buildings that surmounted earthquakes and other disasters;
3. Irrigation system and technique for storing water for their crops to
grow in all types of land;
4. Calendar with 12 months to mark their religious festivals and
prepare them for planting season;
5. The first suspension bridge;
6. Quipo, a system of knotted ropes to keep records that only experts
can interpret;
7. Inca textiles
Aztec Civilization
 Contributions:
1. Mandatory education
2. Chocolates
3. Antispasmodic medication
4. Chinampa
5. Aztec calendar
6. Invention of the canoe
A. Development of Science in Asia
Asia:
 Is the biggest continent in the world and the home of many ancient civilizations.
 It is a host to many cultural, economic, scientific, and political activities of all ages.
 In the field of science, technology, and mathematics, great civilizations have stood out: India, China, and the Middle
East civilizations.
India
 Is a huge peninsula surrounded by vast bodies of water and fortified by huge mountains in its northern boarders.
 Known for manufacturing iron and in metallurgical works.
 Also famous in medicine.
Example:
 Ayurveda – a system of traditional medicine that originated in ancient India before 2500 BC, is still practiced as a form
of alternative medicine.
 They discovered some medicinal properties of plants that led them to develop medicines to cure various illnesses.
 Susruta Samhita – describes different surgical and other medical procedures famous in Ancient India.
 Ancient India is also notable in the field of astronomy.
 They developed theories on the configuration of the universe, the spherical self-supporting Earth, and the year of 360
days with 12 equal parts of 30 days each.
 Siddhanta Shiromani – a book written in the 12th century. It covered topics such as:
1. mean longitudes of the planets;
2. true longitudes of the planets;
3. the three problems of diurnal rotation;
4. syzygies
5. lunar eclipses;
6. solar eclipses
7. latitudes of the planets;
8. risings and settings;
9. the moon’s crescent
10. conjunctions of the planets with each other;
11. conjunctions of the planets with the fixed stars;
12. the paths of the Sun and Moon.
 They are also known for their mathematics
 Bisht (1982) noted that the earliest traces of mathematical knowledge in the
Indian subcontinent appeared in the Indus Valley Civilization. They tried to
standardized measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy and
designed a ruler, the Mohenjodaro ruler.
 Aryabhatiya – introduced a number of trigonometric functions, tables, and
techniques, as well as algorithms of algebra.
 Brahmagupta – also suggested that gravity was a force of attraction, and
lucidly explained the use of zero as both a placeholder and a decimal digit,
along with the Hindu-Arabic numeral system now used universally
throughout the world.
 Madhava of Sangamagrama – is also considered as the founder of
mathematical analysis.
China
 Is one of the ancient civilizations with substantial contributions in many areas of life like
medicine, astronomy, science, mathematics, arts, philosophy, and music, among others.
 have greatly influenced many of its neighbor countries like Korea, Japan, Philippines,
Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and other countries that belong to the old Silk
Road.
 They are known for traditional medicines. They discovered various medical properties and
uses of different plants and animals to cure human illness.
Example:
 The practice of acupuncture
 In terms of technology:
 compass
 papermaking
 gunpowder
 printing tools
 iron plough
 wheelbarrow
 propeller
 developed a design of different models of bridges
 invented the first seismological detector
 developed a dry dock facility

Seismological Detector – a seismometer or seismoscope is an instrument

that detects and measures the motions of the ground as a result of seismic
waves gushing from an earthquake, volcanic eruption or powerful explosion.
 In the field of astronomy:
 The Chinese also made significant records on supernovas, lunar and solar eclipses, and
comets, which were carefully recorded and preserved to understand better the heavenly
bodies and their effects to our world.
 They use lunar calendars too.
Printing tools Iron plough Wheelbarrow

Propeller Seismological detector Dry dock facility

Middle East Countries
 Dominantly occupied by Muslims.
 Golden Age of Islam – a period of Muslim scholarship during the 7th
and 8th centuries and lasted until the 13th century.
 Contributory to the intellectualization of the Muslims which
provided their scholars knowledge to create innovations and
develop new ideas.
 The common language of Arabic
 Access to Greek texts from the Byzantine Empire
 Their proximity to India
 Contrary to the Greeks, Muslim scientists placed greater value on
science experiments rather than plain-thought experiments. This
led to the development of the scientific method.
 Ibn al-Haytham – a muslim scientist. Also regarded as the Father of
Optics, especially for his empirical proof of the intromission theory
of light.
 In mathematics:
 Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi – a mathematician who gave his name to
the concept of the algorithm while the term algebra is derived from al-jabr,
the beginning of the title of one of his publications.
 Arabic Numerical System – originally came from India, but Muslim
mathematicians did make several refinements to the number system, such as
the introduction of decimal point notation.
 In chemistry:
 Muslim chemist and alchemist also played an important role in the
foundation of modern chemistry.
 Jabir ibn Hayyan – considered to be the “Father of Chemistry”.
 In the field of medicine:
 Ibn Sina – pioneered the science of experimental medicine and was the first
physician to conduct clinical trials.
 His two most notable works in medicine which were used as standard
medicinal texts in both the Muslim world and Europe during the 17th century
1. The Book of Healing
2. The Canon of Medicine
Among his many contributions are the discovery of the contagious nature of
infectious diseases and the introduction of clinical pharmacology.
C. Development of Science in Africa
 Africa is blessed with natural and mineral resources.
 The ancient Egyptian civilization has contributed immensely
and made significant advances in the fields of:
1. astronomy
2. mathematics
3. medicine

Example:
 The development of geometry was a product of necessity to
preserve the layout and ownership of farmlands of the
Egyptians living along the Nile River.
 The rules of geometry were developed and used to build
rectilinear structures, the post of lintel architecture of
Egypt.
 Egypt was known to be center of alchemy, which is known
as the medieval forerunner of chemistry.
 They tried to study human anatomy and pharmacology, and
applied important components such as examination,
treatment, and prognosis for the treatment of diseases.
 Astronomy was also famous in the African region.
 Africans used three types of calendars or a combination of
the three:
1. lunar
2. solar
3. stellar
Think About These Questions:
1. How did society shape science and how did science shape society?
2. How do social and human issues influence science?
3. How do political and cultural landscapes of the society affect the
development of scientific culture, science activities, and science
literacy?
4. Considering the current state of our country, do you think science
literacy among people has contributed to the growth of our
economy?
5. How can science influence government policies?
 EVALUATION

Ref: Science, Technology & Society – 1st Edition by: Serafica, Pawilen, et al.
Pictures and images: Google.com