Scientific Revolution

As the Renaissance drew to a close, a new revolution was surfacing throughout Europe. The Scientific Revolution would change the way we look at the physical world and challenge the Ideas of the supreme power of Europe, the Catholic church. Despite this challenge, there were groups who liked and pushed the growth of the sciences. This included many protestant religions and even absolute monarchs. Overall, the Catholic church was very against the sciences. This was especially so with subjects such as Astronomy and any others that challenged the teaching of the scriptures. In a letter to Galileo, the Italian monk Giovanni Ciampoli asked Galileo to “[show his] willingness to defer to the authority of those who have jurisdiction,” (also known as church officials). Catholicism stressed that everything revolved around the Earth and, because Galileo’s work suggested that our universe was heliocentric instead of geocentric, they took radical actions to curb Galileo’s studies. They forced him to redact his findings and was placed under house arrest where he continued his studies …show more content…
Many absolute monarchs played a role in the development of the sciences. The French paved the way for other states to begin adopting science and opening their universities. In a painting depicting Louis XIV’s visit to the French Royal Academy, you can see Louis walking through the majestic halls of the Academy, showing off France’s scientific prowess. In the background you can see the lavish grounds of the institution, showing how much the French government is supporting them in terms of finances. In a statement released by Jean Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s finance minister, he stated the importance of “displaying at home an abundance of wealth and in causing the arts and sciences to flourish.” These two sources show just how much the French monarchy approved of science and used it as a tool to make them the most powerful state in all of