Question 1

One reason that the scientific revolution occurred in Europe and not some other culture (e.g. Islam or China).

Accepted Answer

The creation of self-governing universities allowed for a relatively free inquiry, which was necessary for the scientific revolution to occur. This was not present in other cultures such as Islam and China. While Islamic culture did have knowledge of Aristotle, this alone did not lead to a scientific revolution. The absence of a feudal system in Europe may have had some impact, but it was not the primary reason for the scientific revolution. The idea that other cultures were intellectually underdeveloped is a Eurocentric and incorrect assumption.

Question 2

One reason that the scientific revolution occurred in Europe before Islamic countries was:

Accepted Answer

The Koran's status as the ultimate authority in all aspects of life, including scientific inquiry, in Islamic societies contrasted with the more varied sources of authority in Europe, which contributed to the different pace of scientific progress in these regions.

Question 3

Unlike European philosophers, Islamic scholars used and developed earlier Greek Mathematics:

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

In terms of understanding the workings of the natural world, find the best match to the following statement: "The problems of physics are of no importance to us in our religious affairs and livelihoods. Therefore, we must leave them alone".

Accepted Answer

This statement reflects the viewpoint of Islamic scholars who believed in the separation of religious and scientific knowledge. They did not see the need to apply scientific findings to their religious beliefs or daily lives.

Question 5

In terms of understanding the workings of the natural world, find the best match to the following statement: "In natural philosophy, everyone should be free to say freely whatever he pleases".

Accepted Answer

William of Ockham was a philosopher who argued that everyone should be free to say whatever they please in natural philosophy.

Question 6

Historians say the Europe gave rise to science rather than Islam because only Europe:

Accepted Answer

All of the above factors played a role in Europe giving rise to science. Separating church and state allowed for the development of secular institutions like universities, which fostered scientific learning. The development of cities, business, and corporations created an atmosphere of innovation and competition that facilitated scientific advancements. Rejecting the total authority of the Bible on all subjects allowed for the questioning of previous teachings and the exploration of new ideas. All of these factors contributed to Europe's scientific revolution.

Question 7

The author notes that a unique feature of Chinese intellectual life that inhibited the development of natural philosophy and science was the "mandarins". The mandarins were _________.

Accepted Answer

The author notes that mandarins were a class of government bureaucrats that controlled the reins of government. They were more focused on maintaining order and control rather than promoting natural philosophy and science.

Question 8

Suppose we see a bowling ball hit the pins and the pins fall down. If you believe that the bowling ball did not cause the pins to fall, but instead God caused the pins to fall by recreating the universe then you favor the doctrine called _______ which was favored ______.

Accepted Answer

Occasionalism is the doctrine that states that all events are directly caused by God and that natural causes are merely the occasions for God's actions. This belief was favored in Islamic philosophy, particularly by thinkers such as Al-Ghazali and Ibn Rushd. The other answer choices are inaccurate because naturalism is the doctrine that everything can be explained by natural causes alone, which is not aligned with the belief in God's direct involvement in all events. Additionally, while the early Greek scholars such as Aristotle did discuss causation, they did not specifically advocate for occasionalism. Finally, while Isaac Newton did believe in God, he is not associated with either naturalism or occasionalism in particular.

Question 9

When considering a changing world, both Christian and Islamic scholars wrestled with the question of everyday changes. Although secondary causation worked for most European philosophers, Islamic thinkers rejected it because:

Accepted Answer

Islamic thinkers rejected secondary causation because it took some power and omnipotence away from God, making God less active. They believed that everything, even the actions of humans, occurred only by the will of God.

Question 10

The idea of secondary causation explains change in the world by suggesting:

Accepted Answer

The idea of secondary causation typically suggests that God or a primary cause sets the universe in motion or creates the laws of nature, but then secondary causes (natural processes or entities within the universe) are responsible for the specific changes and events that occur. None of the provided options accurately describe this concept.

Question 11

Although not favored by Islamic thinkers, the concept of ________ developed by medieval thinkers was important to the development of natural science in Europe.

Accepted Answer

The concept of secondary causation, developed by medieval thinkers, was crucial for the development of natural science in Europe. It allowed for the understanding that natural processes could have causes secondary to God's will, enabling a scientific study of the natural world without directly challenging religious beliefs about divine causation.

Question 12

Sigmund Freud called this work the first great blow to the human ego:

Accepted Answer

Copernicus' Revolution of the Heavenly Orbs challenged the widely accepted Ptolemaic model of the universe, which placed Earth at the center of the cosmos, and instead proposed a heliocentric model with the sun at the center. This work struck at the notion that humans were at the center of the universe and challenged the widely held belief that the Earth was the most significant celestial body. This shift in perspective had significant implications for humanity's understanding of its place in the world and was seen by Freud as a major blow to the human ego.

Question 13

As a result of the scientific revolution, human beings came to think of the universe as a:

Accepted Answer

As a result of the scientific revolution, human beings began to view the universe as a machine, meaning that it was comprised of a set of laws and mechanisms that could be observed and understood through empirical investigation. This mechanistic view of the universe led to the development of the scientific method, which emphasized the importance of acquiring empirical evidence in order to validate scientific claims.

Question 14

The mechanized world view led scientists to see Machines_________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The mechanized world view led scientists to...

Question 15

After Newton's laws of motion were published, the machine analogy became popular among thinkers because it:

Accepted Answer

The answer of After Newton's laws of motion were published,...

Question 16

Imagine a high school chemistry lab teacher doing an "experiment" each semester in which she fills a balloon with hydrogen gas and ignites the balloon (bang!). Using Kuhn's proposal, which of the two scientific traditions is the lab teachers demonstration most similar to?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine a high school chemistry lab teacher...

Question 17

Match the following statement to the person: One should begin with careful observations of facts and experiments on nature, and then should form general conclusions only when they were fully justified.

Accepted Answer

This statement is characteristic of Francis Bacon's scientific method, which emphasizes inductive reasoning and empirical observation. Plato and Aristotle tended to rely on deductive reasoning and philosophical abstraction, while Descartes emphasized the use of reason and intuition to arrive at certain knowledge.

Question 18

Which of the following would Francis Bacon agree with?

Accepted Answer

All three statements reflect Francis Bacon's beliefs. He believed in the usefulness of knowledge for achieving power, the importance of collective and organized pursuit of knowledge, and the significance of working upward from facts through experimentation.

Question 19

Which of the following represents the science we know today?

Accepted Answer

The merging of both Kuhn's two forms of science - the normal science of the Baconian experimental tradition and the revolutionary science of the classical tradition - represents the science we know today. This is because while scientists still use the systematic and methodical approach of Bacon's tradition, they also acknowledge the importance of paradigm shifts and revolutionary ideas from the classical tradition, as Kuhn pointed out.

Question 20

Thomas Kuhn distinguished two forms of science one known as mathematical or classical and the second being Baconian. Which of the following characteristics is uniquely true of the Baconian tradition of sciences but not classical?

Accepted Answer

The Baconian tradition of science is characterized by empirical observation and experimentation in order to form general conclusions about the world. This is in contrast to the classical tradition, which relies on precise mathematical theories to explain phenomena. Option B is a characteristic of the classical tradition, while options C and D are not unique to either tradition.

Quiz 5: The Scientific Revolution

One reason that the scientific revolution occurred in Europe and not some other culture (e.g. Islam or China) .