Scientific Paradigm
The French Revolution
The French Revolution can be seen as the catalyst for scientific alteration within Europe throughout the 19th century, as science shifted away from a focus on supporting Christian theories of Genesis. At the beginning of the 19th century, Science and Religion co-existed in harmony, as the majority of the Western World was of the Christian faith, and few saw the need to question God’s creation. With the progression of the French Revolution, many of these attitudes changed under the influence of working class radicals unhappy with the order of things and the profound influence of Religion and the church. When dismantling the feudal system, the National Constituent Assembly confiscated all funds and land under the control of the Church, using it to support the fragile French economy and remove the ridiculous amount of power and influence the Church held.
Many forms of Science emerging at this time allowed a restricted place for God within the universe. Instead they focused on the physical evidence that provided us with explanations for the origin of the universe, not “stories” provided to the world through the Bible. Geologists were discovering more and more evidence to impact Christian theories of Genesis and Biologists (such as Charles Darwin) were developing theories of evolution. With publishing for the mass media at its height, these anti-religious scientific theories were accessible to influence the wider public.
These changes in scientific opinion, methods and study on the Romantics were most likely profound, influencing them to reconsider their outlook on the world. Most Romantics remained supportive of their faith whilst writing, but displayed an understanding of the scientific theories relating to the creation of the world. This is demonstrated through the Romantics overwhelming love of nature. The Romantics that were accepting of Religion understood that God may have created Nature, but they see it as a replacement to, or alternative form of religion. The natural world, studied more intently after the scientific reforms of the French Revolution, was to be worshipped for its beauty, and qualities of emotional and psychological rejuvenation.
References:
Cody, D. (n.d.). French Revolution. The Victorian Web: An Overview. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.victorianweb.org/history/hist7.html
European History/Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment - Wikibooks, open books for an open world. (n.d.). Wikibooks. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/European_History/Scientific_Revolution_and_Enlightenment
Fyfe, A., & Whye, J. v. (n.d.). Victorian Science & Religion. The Victorian Web: An Overview. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.victorianweb.org/science/science&religion.html
Gillispie, C. C. (n.d.). SCIENCE IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.pnas.org/content/45/5/677.full.pdf+html
Science, civilization and society. (n.d.). School of Chemistry, Physics & Earth Sciences. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectures/illustrations/lecture21/frenchrevolution.html
Many forms of Science emerging at this time allowed a restricted place for God within the universe. Instead they focused on the physical evidence that provided us with explanations for the origin of the universe, not “stories” provided to the world through the Bible. Geologists were discovering more and more evidence to impact Christian theories of Genesis and Biologists (such as Charles Darwin) were developing theories of evolution. With publishing for the mass media at its height, these anti-religious scientific theories were accessible to influence the wider public.
These changes in scientific opinion, methods and study on the Romantics were most likely profound, influencing them to reconsider their outlook on the world. Most Romantics remained supportive of their faith whilst writing, but displayed an understanding of the scientific theories relating to the creation of the world. This is demonstrated through the Romantics overwhelming love of nature. The Romantics that were accepting of Religion understood that God may have created Nature, but they see it as a replacement to, or alternative form of religion. The natural world, studied more intently after the scientific reforms of the French Revolution, was to be worshipped for its beauty, and qualities of emotional and psychological rejuvenation.
References:
Cody, D. (n.d.). French Revolution. The Victorian Web: An Overview. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.victorianweb.org/history/hist7.html
European History/Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment - Wikibooks, open books for an open world. (n.d.). Wikibooks. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/European_History/Scientific_Revolution_and_Enlightenment
Fyfe, A., & Whye, J. v. (n.d.). Victorian Science & Religion. The Victorian Web: An Overview. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.victorianweb.org/science/science&religion.html
Gillispie, C. C. (n.d.). SCIENCE IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.pnas.org/content/45/5/677.full.pdf+html
Science, civilization and society. (n.d.). School of Chemistry, Physics & Earth Sciences. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectures/illustrations/lecture21/frenchrevolution.html
Sir Isaac Newton
During this Sir Isaac Newton was considered a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian; he is still regarded as one of the brightest minds to have walked the Earth. Being one of the leading patrons of the age of enlightenment, Newton sought to promote the idea that everything in life had a scientific explanation and that the so called mysteries of the universe were just aspects that we didn’t understand yet. This deviation from science’s previous stance, that they were just unravelling God’s work, was fundamental in both the returning science to mainstream society as well as giving it a sense of notoriety.
Sir Isaac Newton is well known for his discovery of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion (Inertia, F=MA and action/reaction). These laws not only provided a basis for the further validity of the much ignored field of physics, but they also sought to combine science with mathematics, something that had been done with limited success previously. The fusion of these two subjects through the laws of motion would hail a new breed of science that relied even less on human experience and interaction, and more on scientific principles.
Sir Isaac Newton’s ideal world of symmetry and a lack of mystery is one of the fundamental ideals that drove the Romantics so violently to their cause. The Romantics, believing that the world was a chaotic mess that no man could understand or explain, thoroughly disagreed with not only Newton, but the entire age of enlightenment that he helped to bring about. Another means in which they differed was their purpose, the Romantics searched for imagination and freedom whilst, as Newton once stated “Amicus Plato — amicus Aristoteles — magis amica veritas” meaning Plato is my friend – Aristotle is my friend – but my greatest friend is truth, thus Newton held truth to be the most important thing above all else, regardless of whether it made him right or wrong.
Sir Isaac Newton is well known for his discovery of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion (Inertia, F=MA and action/reaction). These laws not only provided a basis for the further validity of the much ignored field of physics, but they also sought to combine science with mathematics, something that had been done with limited success previously. The fusion of these two subjects through the laws of motion would hail a new breed of science that relied even less on human experience and interaction, and more on scientific principles.
Sir Isaac Newton’s ideal world of symmetry and a lack of mystery is one of the fundamental ideals that drove the Romantics so violently to their cause. The Romantics, believing that the world was a chaotic mess that no man could understand or explain, thoroughly disagreed with not only Newton, but the entire age of enlightenment that he helped to bring about. Another means in which they differed was their purpose, the Romantics searched for imagination and freedom whilst, as Newton once stated “Amicus Plato — amicus Aristoteles — magis amica veritas” meaning Plato is my friend – Aristotle is my friend – but my greatest friend is truth, thus Newton held truth to be the most important thing above all else, regardless of whether it made him right or wrong.
Religious Paradigm
Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel
The Age of Reason blatantly speaks for itself in that it brought reason, definition and justification to the uncanny. At the time and before this time, the universe and nature itself were both written and explained by religion and its churches. There was no studying of the origins of the universe and of humanity other than that of the priests of the Bible, who studied the stories
and proclamations of Jesus Christ. There was only the Divine’s way or no way. The evolution of the human mind during the Enlightenment Period sparked many intellectuals and key thinkers to blossom in discovering the truth behind the
“Divine’s way”. Philosophers began to delve into the studies of nature and the true origins of man. One such philosopher was German born Englishman, Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel or better known as William Herschel. William was initially a
very talented musician and is not well known for the twenty four symphonies that he composed. However, Herschel’s true passion was astronomy. Herschel wanted to study his theory that all planets rotated on an axis; however he needed a larger
telescope to observe planets and stars in detail. Herschel, his sister and his brother fiddled around with different lenses and tin for a few years until he built his own reflective telescope. With this telescope, Herschel proved that planets rotated on an axis as he observed Mars’ polar ice caps, comparing them to Earth’s. Herschel also discovered Uranus and two of its moons, Titania and Oberon as well as two of Saturn’s moons and infrared radiation. Herschel also developed scientists understanding of nebulae, where stars are born. Without these discoveries philosophers at the time would not be able to prove their
theories against the Bible’s Genesis.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism_in_science
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herschel
http://www.nndb.com/people/661/000096373/
http://messier.seds.org/xtra/Bios/wherschel.html
and proclamations of Jesus Christ. There was only the Divine’s way or no way. The evolution of the human mind during the Enlightenment Period sparked many intellectuals and key thinkers to blossom in discovering the truth behind the
“Divine’s way”. Philosophers began to delve into the studies of nature and the true origins of man. One such philosopher was German born Englishman, Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel or better known as William Herschel. William was initially a
very talented musician and is not well known for the twenty four symphonies that he composed. However, Herschel’s true passion was astronomy. Herschel wanted to study his theory that all planets rotated on an axis; however he needed a larger
telescope to observe planets and stars in detail. Herschel, his sister and his brother fiddled around with different lenses and tin for a few years until he built his own reflective telescope. With this telescope, Herschel proved that planets rotated on an axis as he observed Mars’ polar ice caps, comparing them to Earth’s. Herschel also discovered Uranus and two of its moons, Titania and Oberon as well as two of Saturn’s moons and infrared radiation. Herschel also developed scientists understanding of nebulae, where stars are born. Without these discoveries philosophers at the time would not be able to prove their
theories against the Bible’s Genesis.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism_in_science
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herschel
http://www.nndb.com/people/661/000096373/
http://messier.seds.org/xtra/Bios/wherschel.html
William Blake
William Blake was a Romantic poet who is known for his strong religious ideals, as well as his rejection of conventional faith. Blake was a devout Christian and lived much of his life by the teachings of the bible, and as a result the basis of much of his poetry was religious hallucinations often including angels. Though despite his love of God, Blake was thoroughly opposed to the Church of England as well as all organised religion.
Blake was one of the original pioneers for recognition of the foundation of religion being nature. As a Romantic poet, Blake was against the industrial revolution; even going so far as to describe “satanic mills” in his poem Jerusalem in which Blake condemns the revolution as being ‘unholy’ and against nature. This incited a revolution in faith, which began to preach a more holistic life in response to the greed and corruption that occurred as a result of the enlightenment period.
Blake abandoning the church coincided with the introduction of the printing press to mainstream culture and its side effects. The printing press allowed every household to have a copy of the bible, meaning that people were able to derive their own meaning from religion and no longer had to rely on the teachings of the church. This combined with opinions from Blake and his fellow romantics led to the emancipation of the religious ideals of many people in the general public of Europe, drawing power from the church and allowing people to experience religion in their own way.
Blake’s Songs of Innocence show the Romantic link between childhood and God. Blake believed that childhood was a state of innocence, and this purity brought them closer to God. This idea was soon incorporated into Catholicism, with infants surpassing purgatory due to their innocence.
Kazin, Alfred. "An Introduction to William Blake by Alfred Kazin." The Multimedia Library Gazette. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.multimedialibrary.com/Articles/kazin/alfredblake.asp>.
Blake was one of the original pioneers for recognition of the foundation of religion being nature. As a Romantic poet, Blake was against the industrial revolution; even going so far as to describe “satanic mills” in his poem Jerusalem in which Blake condemns the revolution as being ‘unholy’ and against nature. This incited a revolution in faith, which began to preach a more holistic life in response to the greed and corruption that occurred as a result of the enlightenment period.
Blake abandoning the church coincided with the introduction of the printing press to mainstream culture and its side effects. The printing press allowed every household to have a copy of the bible, meaning that people were able to derive their own meaning from religion and no longer had to rely on the teachings of the church. This combined with opinions from Blake and his fellow romantics led to the emancipation of the religious ideals of many people in the general public of Europe, drawing power from the church and allowing people to experience religion in their own way.
Blake’s Songs of Innocence show the Romantic link between childhood and God. Blake believed that childhood was a state of innocence, and this purity brought them closer to God. This idea was soon incorporated into Catholicism, with infants surpassing purgatory due to their innocence.
Kazin, Alfred. "An Introduction to William Blake by Alfred Kazin." The Multimedia Library Gazette. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.multimedialibrary.com/Articles/kazin/alfredblake.asp>.