Supernatural explanations were the most acceptable form of explanation used during Early Modern Europe. Religion was the underlying foundation for supernatural explanations. Science had not yet replaced the supernatural when explaining the unknown at the time. However, their lack of scientific methodology would not steer them away from beginning to use more natural explanations instead of supernatural ones. To demonstrate this abandonment, this essay will first analyze the supernatural explanations that took place before the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Then this essay will examine why abandonment occurred in this particular time period. Finally, this essay will examine the natural explanations that would replace the supernatural explanations.
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However, this did not stray them away from abandoning supernatural explanations. They began to adopt more natural explanations. The question that has many puzzled is why the shift from supernatural to natural explanations. The best way to help explain this shift is the case of The Strange Death of Margarita Marcellini , written by Guido Ruggiero. This particular case helps gives us an insight into this paradigm shift. Guido stated that science began to take form because it broke away from everyday culture. This case exemplifies this statement because all the signs pointed to witchcraft. The testimonies and the evidence all suggested that Margarita’s illness was caused by dark magic. However, the Inquisition ruled that witchcraft could not be proven as the cause of her illness and the case was dropped. This ruling shows us that signs can be misleading. The Inquisition knew that her illness could be the result of either witchcraft or simply of disease. They showed that the line between supernatural and natural causes could be blurred. Their ruling determined that circumstantial evidence won’t be the determining factor of whether or not someone was a witch or not. This is a big shift from most cases that occurred previously before this one, where mere accusations could result in guilt. Doctor’s diagnoses also lead to natural signs being the first thing to be examined. In this particular case, Margarita’s husband, a doctor, looked for natural signs and tried natural cures, before calling in a friar and using supernatural
However, this did not stray them away from abandoning supernatural explanations. They began to adopt more natural explanations. The question that has many puzzled is why the shift from supernatural to natural explanations. The best way to help explain this shift is the case of The Strange Death of Margarita Marcellini , written by Guido Ruggiero. This particular case helps gives us an insight into this paradigm shift. Guido stated that science began to take form because it broke away from everyday culture. This case exemplifies this statement because all the signs pointed to witchcraft. The testimonies and the evidence all suggested that Margarita’s illness was caused by dark magic. However, the Inquisition ruled that witchcraft could not be proven as the cause of her illness and the case was dropped. This ruling shows us that signs can be misleading. The Inquisition knew that her illness could be the result of either witchcraft or simply of disease. They showed that the line between supernatural and natural causes could be blurred. Their ruling determined that circumstantial evidence won’t be the determining factor of whether or not someone was a witch or not. This is a big shift from most cases that occurred previously before this one, where mere accusations could result in guilt. Doctor’s diagnoses also lead to natural signs being the first thing to be examined. In this particular case, Margarita’s husband, a doctor, looked for natural signs and tried natural cures, before calling in a friar and using supernatural