European Renaissance: Scientific Inventions, Geographical Discoveries

This post caters to the study of the Complementary Course “Evolution of Literary Movements”, assigned for students of BA English programme at CMS College.

SCIENTIFIC INVENTIONS    

Medieval ideas: influenced by the physics of Aristotle, medicine of Galen, astronomy of Ptolemy, Christian theology

Matter of 4 elements:        earth, air, water, fire

Man of four humours:        black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood

Earth of 3 masses:                Europe, Asia, Africa

Earth is the centre of the universe (geocentric universe)

All these were overthrown during the Renaissance, through empirical truth. Stage set by the Humanists of the 16th c., and developed by the scientists of the 17th c: Copernicus, Galileo, William Harvey and Sir. Isaac Newton.

Galileo Galilei

Nicolaus Copernicus

William Harvey

Isaac Newton

Liberal studies curriculum in Grammar schools and universities: classical languages, and arithmetic, geometry and algebra.

Translation of Archimedes contributed to the further understanding of mathematics.

*The works of Archimedes were written in Doric Greek, the dialect of ancient Syracuse

Heliocentric idea gained acceptance.

Gutenberg in his workshop (artist's visualisaton)

Development of technology: Printing Press (16th c.) – Movable metal type by Johannes Gutenberg, Germany