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The Western Experience, 8/e

Mortimer Chambers, University of California - Los Angeles
Barbara Hanawalt, Ohio State University
Theodore Rabb, Princeton University
Isser Woloch, Columbia University
Raymond Grew, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Culture and Society in the Age of the Scientific Revolution

Problems for Analysis

I. Scientific Advance from Copernicus to Newton


1		Explain the origins of the scientific revolution. Were the theories of the ancient Greeks a hindrance or a support? What role did magical beliefs play?



2		What was the essence of the conflict between Galileo and the Church? Do you think it was in the Church's interest to condemn Galileo? Why?

II. The Effects of the Discoveries


3		Use examples to demonstrate the principles of the scientific method. How does the scientific method differ from earlier methods of obtaining and verifying knowledge?



4		Compare the methods emphasized by Francis Bacon, René Descartes, and Isaac Newton. Do you think that Blaise Pascal would disagree with the methods and concerns of these men? Why?

III. Literature and the Arts


5		Compare the Baroque and Classical styles. In what ways did they reflect other developments in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe?



6		It has been argued that Cervantes and Shakespeare reflected the historical concerns of their own societies as well as timeless human concerns. Use examples to support this argument.

IV. Social Patterns and Popular Culture


7		How was seventeenth-century society organized? Compare the possibilities for social mobility among various social groups.



8		What were some of the demographic characteristics of seventeenth-century society? How do you explain population patterns in the seventeenth century?



9		How did popular culture reflect a dependence on nature and the conditions of life among the peasantry? How does the great witch craze fit into this situation?



10		What were the causes for change in the traditional village? Were most of these causes internal, or were they a result of intrusions from the outside?

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