LESSON 3: INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION
KEY CONCEPTS:
Revolution – a wide reaching change in the way something works, organized or change in people’s ideas about it.
Personality – combination of characteristic or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.
Behavior – range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals
Civilization – complex human society in which people live in groups of settled dwellings.
Intellectual revolution is the term used to Greek speculation about “nature” in the period before Socrates – 600 – 400
BCE. It is also known as the “Pre-socratic” or “non-theological” or “first philosophy.” There are three characteristic
features of this form of philosophy:
1. The world is a natural whole (supernatural forces do not make things “happen”)
2. There is a natural order ( there are laws of nature)
3. Humans can discover those laws
Some Intellectuals and their revolutionary ideas.
1. Nicolaus Copernicus – knowledge about the nature of the universe. The sun was stationary in the center of the
universe and the earth revolved around it.
2. Charles Darwin – theory of evolution. All living organisms are related and have descended from a common
ancestor.
3. Sigmund Freud – field of psychology. Method of psychoanalysis, which is a scientific way to study the human
mind and neurotic illness.
Cradle of Early Science
Development of science in Meso-America ( Cenral America from Southern Mexico up to the border of south America)
A. Maya Civilization – famous civilization that lasted for approx.2,000 years.
- known for their works in astronomy.
- allows them to use their temples for astronomical observations.
- predicting eclipse and using astrological cycles in planting & harvesting
- developed the technology for growing different crops and building elaborate cities using ordinary
machineries and tools.
- built hydraulic system with waterways to supply water to different communities.
- built looms for weaving cloth and devised a rainbow of glittery paints made from a mineral called mica
- first people to produce rubber products.
B. Inca Civilization (made advanced scientific ideas considering their limitations as an old civilization)
- roads paved with stones
- stone buildings that surmounted earthquakes and other disasters
- irrigation system and technique for storing water for their crops to grow in all types of land
- calendar with 12 months to mark their religious festivals and prepare them for planting season
- first suspension bridge
- Inca textiles since cloth was one of the specially prized artistic achievements.
C. Aztec Civilization
- Mandatory education – children are mandated to get education regardless of their social class, gender
or age.
- Chocolates – valued the cacao beans highly and made it as part of their tribute to their gods.
- Chinampa – tech.for agricultural farming in which the land was divided into rectangular areas and
Surrounded by canals.
- Aztec calendar – enabled them to plan their activities, rituals and planting season.
- Invention of the canoe – a light narrow boat used for travelling in water systems.
Development in Asia
A. India
- known for manufacturing iron and in metallurgical works
- famous in medicine.(medicinal properties of plants)
- astronomy, developed theories on the configuration of the universe.
- known for their mathematics, tried to standardize measurement of length to a high degree of accuracy and
designed a ruler, the Mohenjodaro ruler.
- Aryabhata introduced trigonometric functions as well as algorithms in Algebra.
- Brahmagupta, suggest the gravity was a force of attraction, the use of zero as both a placeholder and a
decimal digit along with Hindu-arabic numeral system
- Madhava, founder of mathematical analysis
B. China
- known for traditional medicines (plants & animals) to cure illnesses. Practice of acupuncture
- technology: developed tools as to compass, papermaking, gunpowder,printing tools, iron plough,
wheelbarrow, propeller.
- design different models of bridges.
- invented the first seismological detector & developed a dry dock facility
- astronomy, records of supernovas, lunar & solar eclipses and comets (observation to understand weather
changes and seasons that may affect their daily activities.
- known is seismology, made them more prepared in times of natural calamities.
C. Middle East countries – are dominantly occupied by Muslims.
- In Mathematics, Muhammed ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi – concept of algorithm
- Muslim mathematicians did make several refinements to the number system, such as introduction of
decimal point notation.
- Jabir ibn Hayyan – father of medicine
- Medicine, Ibn Sina, pioneered the science of experimental medicine. First doctor to conduct clinical trials.
Discovery of contagious nature of infectious diseases and introduction of clinical pharmacology.
Development of Science in Africa
- blessed with natural and mineral resources
- mathematics ( geometry) – to preserve the layout and ownership of farmlands of the Egyptians
- Egyptian pyramids and early dams built to divert water from the Nile river
- Egypt was known to be the center of alchemy, medieval forerunner of chemistry
- astronomy , Africans used three types of calendars: lunar, solar and stellar or a combination of the three.
- Metallurgy
