The Scientific Revolution : Aspirations and Achievements, 1500-1700 (The Control of Nature Series)

This clear and concise survey charts the momentous change, the shift from ancient and medieval science to the beginnings of modern science, that has come to be called the Scientific Revolution.

Starting with traditions of the ancient Greeks and the Christianizing of pagan philosophy during the middle ages, later chapters go on to show how these ancient and medieval traditions were either overhauled or overthrown by early moderm natural philosophers. Aristotelian cosmology was replaced by a new astronomy and physics, and animal physiology and medicine were put on new foundations. New scientific methodologies were proposed and scientific societies were organized to harness the power of science for the good of the state. Professor Jacob provides a masterful summary of the most recent scholarship surrounding these developments in language accessible to the nonscientist.

But this narrative does not stop at an account of the events themselves--it sets them in a broader cultural context. The impact on science of the invention of the printing press is discussed as is the contribution of Renaissance humanism, Neoplatonism and magic. Even more importantly, the dynamic relations between religion and science are treated in detail and the question addressed of just how the crisis of authority in science reflected the crisis of authority in society.