Following the Renaissance and rise of humanism in Europe was the Scientific Revolution in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. While the Church was still reaffirming its power after its major struggle during the Protestant Reformation, people began to look for other paths of explanation that diverged from the divine. An elite appreciation for science and mathematics fueled this movement, but the scientific discoveries that sprung forth were closely monitored by those in power, namely the Catholic Church. The direction of scientific exploration was also controlled by existing societal values, restricting science to a rich man’s study, only for those who were seen as capable of pursuing it.
Because science and calculation was seen as a novel practice compared to the long standing method of using …show more content…
According to John Calvin, science was seen as “art [that] unfolds the admirable wisdom of God,” and therefore, “ordinary persons” could not hope to understand it (Doc 2). Calvin believed that science was “pleasant” and shouldn’t be prohibited. It seemed like for the first time, humans could finally use this “art” to understand God and imitate Him. His position as a Protestant theologian would make him want to promote a new science, especially if it contradicted traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. This sounded pleasing to the nobility’s ears. If one was already at the top of society, the only place left to reach was the Heavens. The new scientific method of repeated testing in “experiments [which] have been repeated more
Because science and calculation was seen as a novel practice compared to the long standing method of using …show more content…
According to John Calvin, science was seen as “art [that] unfolds the admirable wisdom of God,” and therefore, “ordinary persons” could not hope to understand it (Doc 2). Calvin believed that science was “pleasant” and shouldn’t be prohibited. It seemed like for the first time, humans could finally use this “art” to understand God and imitate Him. His position as a Protestant theologian would make him want to promote a new science, especially if it contradicted traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. This sounded pleasing to the nobility’s ears. If one was already at the top of society, the only place left to reach was the Heavens. The new scientific method of repeated testing in “experiments [which] have been repeated more