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A revolution in any area of human activity is characterized by profound, qualitative changes in the current system. While this word is most often associated with political change, more critical turning points can be found in human history. Events such as the French Revolution can leave behind a documentary legacy, which is still used today. Nonetheless, these events are of particular importance only within one specific region. However, episodes like the Scientific Revolution leave a mark on the entire history of the world. This series of events brought many changes to all spheres of human life, and only thanks to them the modern world community has been formed in the manner it exists to this day. This essay aims to prove this thesis and analyze the historical impact of the Scientific Revolution.
The world community is formed from numerous countries, which has changed many times throughout history. The Scientific Revolution coincides with the Age of Exploration, in which a massive number of new lands were discovered. Many pathfinders, such as Columbus, who made four voyages and explored the Caribbean islands, initially pursued establishing new trade routes. However, regardless of their motives, they were looking for information and trying to make breakthroughs in science. For example, Vasco da Gamas expedition was the first to take the sea route from Europe to India, circling Africa from the south. In his own words, the rulers of Portugal knew that there were Christian kings there like themselves . This fact, among other things, also served as a motivation for research and scientific discoveries. People in the era of the Scientific Revolution used the latest advances in technology to explore the world, establish new contacts, and populate new lands. Considering the influence of ties between Asia, Europe, and America, most of which were established at this time, it can be noted that the world community has expanded at a revolutionary pace, dramatically changing the lives of people.
One of the reasons for this behavior was changing peoples outlook on the world. While scientists of the past sought only to observe the world, new explorers gradually began conducting various experiments. This practice ran counter to what was laid down by ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. The deductive approach began to be supplemented by the inductive method, while scientists observed the facts and questioned their assumptions. Instead of just observing the world, new researchers experimentally proved the possibility of sea travel across the Atlantic Ocean and around Africa. Rejecting old assumptions allowed for the construction of bold new models that formed the basis of modern science, such as the heliocentric structure of the solar system. These changes and the transition to a new way of thinking can also be called revolutionary, as they led to the formation of a vast number of new concepts.
Some of these inventions have served as triggers for the emergence and development of whole new fields. The Scientific Revolution overlapped with commerce, which used it to generate higher income. In this context, it should be noted that with the active development of scientific theories and various inventions created thanks to them, an industry appeared as a whole new layer in society. The industrial revolution dramatically changed the appearance of the world. As Marx and Engels wrote (p. 15), the general increase in the means of exchange and of commodities, all gave to commerce, to sea transport, to industry a boost such as never before. Although manufactories have existed for some time, the active development of science allowed them to turn into an industry. This transition was facilitated by both the discovery of America and the establishment of contacts with the Indian and Chinese markets. The industrial economy in its structure was fundamentally different and brought revolutionary changes in the development of urbanization.
Finally, all of the above elements ultimately influenced not only the development of individual elements but also the life of people in general. The reason for this was the development of capitalism as a new economic system based on making a profit and building capital. This concept was widely considered by many figures during the Scientific Revolution, including Adam Smith. His works examined the principles of the world market, motivators, and regulators that formed the basis of the emerging economy. This system flourished with the strengthening of the bourgeois class through the growth of manufactories and factories. According to Marx and Engels (p. 16), The bourgeoisie has played a highly revolutionary role in history. With the advent of capitalism and the bourgeoisie, many of the old feudal orders were destroyed, and society was subject to the laws of the market. The influence exerted by science on the economy was a genuinely revolutionary turning point in the lives of many people worldwide and in all strata of society.
Thus, the changes brought about by the Scientific Revolution have affected various aspects of human life. The passion for exploration that blossomed during this time helped discover America and connect Europe and Asia, setting the stage for forming a wider global community. New, empirical world views allowed pushing the already known boundaries through bold research. In the end, theories and inventions led to the active development of machines, manufactories, and then the industry in general, which gave rise to a capitalist society. The Scientific Revolution penetrated all spheres of life, from spiritual to material, inevitably changing them and laying the foundations for their modern appearance. If even one of the described discoveries did not exist the exploration of America, for example, or the flourishing of the industry then at the moment, the world would look completely different. Consequently, this period of history can rightfully be called revolutionary.
Work Cited
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto: A Modern Edition. Edited by Mark Cowling, Edinburgh University Press, 1998.
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