1. The Scientific Method, Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes Std. 7.10.3 I can outline the steps of the Scientific Method and explain how Bacon and Descartes influenced its development. I can explain how changes in scientific thought effected European culture and thinking.

2. Rene Descartes

3. Who was Francis Bacon? • Francis Bacon lived from 1561-1626 in England. • He came from a noble family and was well-educated. • He held government positions and was made a knight. • He is considered a philosopher (thinker) rather than a scientist. • He studied the writings of the great scientists of his time and was very interested in their work. • He did not develop any knew theories. Instead, he developed a system to explore the world. • He taught that scientific study should follow a predictable pattern. • His ideas are found in his many books. The Advancement of Learning first laid out his ideas in 1605.

4. Who was Rene Descartes? • Descartes was born in France and lived from 1596-1650. • He came from a learned family and was given an education which included classical studies, mathematics and philosophy. • He studied law at the university and then took a military position with the leader of the Netherlands. • He was interested in a number of topics including geometry, optics and meteors. He wrote essays on his areas of study and he is famous for his work. • He is sometimes called the Father of Modern Philosophy. He responsible for a very famous quote: Cogito, ergo sum, “I think, therefore I am.” • He taught that people should doubt everything until it could be proven through reason.

5. Development of the Scientific Method • The thinking/writing of Bacon and Descartes led to the development of a procedure for doing scientific experiments and research. • From Bacon comes the idea of a systematic process. • From Descartes comes the idea of requiring proof and clear reasoning.

6. The Six Steps of the Scientific Method • State the problem (define the question) • Gather information (read other sources and/or observe) • Form hypothesis (proposed solution) • Perform experiment and collect data • Record and analyze data • Draw conclusions from the data collected

7. The Scientific Revolution Effected European Culture and Thinking. • Philosophers began applying scientific thought to other areas of human life. • Attempts to use reason and logic for the improvement of society caused people to reevaluate their governments. This caused a resurgence of democratic ideals. • Growth in the area of science challenged some teachings of the Catholic Church. This caused an undermining of Church influence.