Module 3
INTELLECTUAL
REVOLUTIONS THAT
DEFINED
SOCIETY Reporters:
Nathalie De Leon
Dianne De Guzman
BSBA 1-7
Introduction
Intellectual Revolution
"Intellectual Revolution" is the term used to Greek speculation about "nature" in the period before Socrates -600-400
BCE. It is also known as the "Pre-Socratic" or "non-theological" or "first philosophy." There are three characteristic
features of this form of philosophy: 1) the world is a natural whole (i.e., supernatural forces do not make things
"happen”); 2) there is a natural 'order' (i.e., there are 'laws of nature'); and 3) humans can discover those laws.
1. KEY CONCEPTS
2. Revolution - a wide-reaching change in the way something works, organized or change in people's ideas about it
3. Natural selection – process that results in the adaptation of an organism to its environment by means of
selectively reproducing changes in genetic constitution
4. Personality – combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character Behavior –
range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals
5. Artificial intelligence - intelligent behavior by machines rather than the natural intelligence of humans and other
animals Civilization – complex human society in which people live in groups of settled dwellings
Nicolaus Copernicus was a
Polish astronomer known as the
Father of Modern astronomy. He
Copernican was the first modern European
Nicholas Copernicus scientist to propose that the earth
(1473-1543) was a and other planets revolve around
mathematician and the sun or known as heliocentric
an astronomer who theory.
proposed that the This caused the paradigm shift of
sun was stationary in how the earth and sun were placed
the center of the in the heavens or universe. It is the
universe and the idea that rejected Ptolemaic model
earth revolved which states that the earth is the
around it (Khun, center of the solar system. The
1985). heliocentric model proved that the
sun is the center of the universe and
that the planets revolve around it.
Before the work of Copernicus, principles of classical astronomy involving the
four elements, namely earth, water, air, and fire were followed. These put the
earth at the center of the universe and the elements below the moon, its closest
celestial body (Lawson, 2004). Aristotle believed that the earth is the true center
of all the orbs carrying the heavenly bodies around it and all motions are
uniform' and unchanging (Kuhn, 1957).
Between 1508 and 1514, Copernicus adopted the 'heliocentric model' where he
proved the idea that the sun is the center of the solar system (Koestler, 1989).
The sun-centered concept was Figure 3.1. Heliocentric model considered a
radical idea during that time and
proposed by Copernicus most of the contemporary astronomers adopted
where he proved that the Greek Earth-centered model (Gingerich,
the sun is the center of 2004). The concept was so radical that his essay
the universe. (Source: titled “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres” was
[Link]) only published the year of his death despite the
conceptualization in the early 1500 (Dreyer, 1906).
Darwinian
Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all living organisms
This has brought a great are related and have descended from a common ancestor. Darwin's general theory
impact on how people approach presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic
Biology forever. This descent with modification (Behe, 1996). It explains that complex creatures evolve
revolution from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. As random genetic mutations
provided a different theory than occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved
the because they aid survival - a process known as "natural selection." These
theory of creation. The beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial
Darwinian mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism and not just a
revolution started when Charles variation of the original but an entirely direct creature (Denton, 1986).
Darwin published his book, Darwin figured out that variations in a population help different spec survive.
“The Some variations are better suited for the environment which in turn increase
Origin of Species” that organism's ability to survive and reproduce. The animals that do survive and rep
emphasizes are better adapted than other organisms. The better adapted a species is, the more
Freud is a famous figure in Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis
and one of the 20th century's most influential
psychology. He also made a thinkers. He believed that when people explain
significant contribution to the their behavior to themselves or others, they
scientific world through the rarely give a true account of their motivation,
development of an important not because they are deliberately lying, but
because they are more adept at self-deception.
observational method to gather
Rationalizations of people's conduct are
reliable data to study human’s therefore disguising the real reasons
inner (Mannoni,1971).
life.
This method is popularly known as Freud's structural theory of personality
psychoanalysis. The scientific emphasizes the role of unconscious
psychological conflicts in shaping behavior
hypothesis he formulated formed
and personality, Human behavior is the result
the essential fundamental version
of the interactions among three component
of parts of the mind: the id, ego and superego
this method. For Freud, this method (Friedman and Schustack 2011). a. Id is made
of psychoanalysis is a scientific way up of unconscious psychic energy that works to
to study the human mind and satisfy basic urges, needs,
neurotic illness. It is no doubt that and desires. It is the only part of the
amidst all questions on his works personality that is present at birth and that this
that led to some sort of academic primitive component of personality existed
controversy, his method of wholly within the unconscious. For example,
psychoanalysis had great impact on you saw someone eating a cake, you would
the scientific way of understanding most likely take the cake from that person, not
Superego is composed of people's internalized ideals acquired from parents and society. The
superego works to suppress the urges of the id and tries to make the ego behave morally, rather than
realistically. Aside from the morals and values that people have learned from their parents, the ideals
that contribute to the formation of the superego also include ideas of right and wrong that they
acquire from society and the culture in which they live in (Meyers, 2007). If the superego will work,
one would not take the cake because it would know that it would be rude. However, if both id and
superego were involved, and id is strong enough to override the superego's concern, one would still
take the cake, but later realizes the shame over one's actions.
Ego mediates the demands of the id, the superego and the reality. It prevents people from acting on
their basic urges created by the id, and works to achieve a balance with their moral and idealistic
standards created by the superego (Noam et al., 1984). The ego operates based on the reality
principle, which works to satisfy the id's desire in a manner that is realistic and socially appropriate.
It is less primitive than the id and is partly conscious and partly unconscious. So, if you see someone
with a cake, your ego would mediate the conflict between your id and superego, and decide to go and
buy your own cake. Your ego will mediate between the id and superego, your urge to satisfy your
desire for the cake, while also avoiding the shame on getting somebody's cake.
Freud believed that the id, ego and superego are instant conflict and that adult personality and
behavior are rooted in the results of these internal struggles throughout childhood.
Information Revolution
Information revolution accompanied the history of mankind and bega as
3000 BC with Sumerian pictographs. Some of the milestones of the info
revolution are Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1455, the
work of and Babbage on Analytic Engine in the early 1830s, the
invention of the first tel during 1870s, and Turing's work during World
War II (Newman, 1955).
Alan Turing (1912-1954) is a British mathematician who considered
infor revolution as the fourth revolution following the Copernican,
Darwinian, and Fra He provided a fundamental contribution to
computer sciences by refining the co of algorithm and computation with
what came to be called Turing Machine. H. contributed the Turing test
concerning the possibility of developing conscious thinking machines
in Artificial Intelligence. The Turing test is a test of a machine. ability to
exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from that
of humans (Beavers, 2013).
Mesoamerican Civilization
Mesoamerica was a region and cultural area in the Americas, extending from
approximately central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,
and Northern Costa Rica and were where pre-Columbian societies flourished before the
Spanish colonization in the 15th and 16th centuries (Oxford, 2002). Archaeologists have
dated human presence in Mesoamerica to possibly as early as 21,000 BCE. By 11,000 BCE
hunting and gathering communities occupied most of the New World.
Mesoamerican civilization contributed greatly in terms of agriculture. As early as 7000 BC,
the cultivation of cacao, corn, beans, tomato, squash, and chili as well as the domestication
of turkey and dog made a transition from Paleo-Indian huntergatherer tribal grouping to the
organization of sedentary agricultural villages. The main food sources in Mesoamerica were
beans, corn, and squash forming a triad of products known as the "Three Sisters.” Growing
these three crops together aided in retaining the nutrients in the soil. Aside from these, cacao
was considered as another cultura important crop because it was used in rituals and trade
currency (Carmack, Gasco Gossen, 1996).
Cotton plants and rubber trees were used in making culturally
significa ducts such as textiles and rubber balls, respectively.
Creation of textiles with
was created from the domestication of cotton.
Various cultivation techniques were done by the Mesoamerican
farmers to combat the lack of arable land, and poor soil condition.
Combination of crop rotation and slash and-burn technique to retain
as many nutrients as possible was done. Mesoamerican farmers also
formed terraces along the slopes of mountain valleys. These
terraces were made of stone walls, while others were created by
cutting down large trees, and mounding soil around them. Plots of
mud and soil placed on top of layers of thick water vegetation
known as chinampas were also created. Mesoamerican natives were
also the first to use irrigation techniques.
Aside from agriculture, Mesoamericans were known to be the first one
to create the calendars. They used three calendars, all of which worked
extensively in groups of 20. The civil calendar or the Haab, had 18
months of 20 days each, for a total of 30 days for each cycle; the
Tzolkin calendar contained 20 months of 13 days each for 260 days in
each finished cycle and was used primarily for ceremonial purposes.
Combined,
consisted of a 365-day they helped in the creation of complicated long
agricultural calendar calendar that tracks both planetary movement and
and 260-day sacred the movement of constellations (Pacheco, 2003).
Asia bore two of the world's great early civilizations: one
from India and the other from China.
About 4000 years ago, civilization arose in the Indus
River valley. People used weapons and utensils made of
bronze and copper. Shops were also established around
its major city, Mohenjo Daro. In addition, the region
served as birthplace of two world's known religions,
namely Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism was based
on the four sacred books called Vedas which hold the
records of Indian history and beliefs and were written by
the Aryan people who invaded the region from the north
around 1500 BCE. Under this religion, people were also
divided based on a caste system, where priests called
Brahmans ranked highest and the "untouchables" as
lowest. On the other hand,
anism embraces followers who praise Buddha (meaning
"The Enlightened One") who is in the person of
Siddharta Gautama, a wanderer who believed that human
greed and selfishness lead to human pain.
Middle East Civilization
The Middle East is considered as the home to the “Cradle. where many of
the world's oldest cultures and civilizations were seen from the earliest
human settlements continuing through several ma Islamic Empires to the
modern collection of nation-states covering the M: (Cleveland & Bunton,
2016).
The Middle East was the first to practice intensive year-round agriculture currency-mediated
trade as opposed to barter. It also gave the rest of the two writing systems, invented the
potter's wheel and then the vehicular and mill wheel on the first generalized governments and
law codes, served as birthplace to the first citud with their high degree of division labor, as
well as laying the foundation for astron and mathematics. However, its empires also
introduced rigid social stratification, slavery and organized warfare (Wawro, 2008).
The invention of writing was considered as one of the most important inventions between the advent
of agriculture and the age of the steam engine. The creation was based on the new needs for
commercial, property, and political records including a celebration of the deeds of proud local kings.
Writing was preceded by the invention of clay cylinder seals, on which little pictures of objects could
be recorded. The earliest writing simply evolved from pictures baked on clay tablets, which were
turned into symbols and gradually transformed into phonetic elements (Mitchell, 2012).
African Civilization
According to some historians, Africans were nothing more
than savages whose only contributions to the world were
farming and slaves. On the contrary, the history of ancient
Africa is just as interesting, complex, and sophisticated as
any other ancient civilization (Williams, 1987).
This lineage and culture of achievements have emerged at
least 40,000 years ago in Africa. Some of these were in the
field of Mathematics, Astronomy, Metallurgy and tools,
Agriculture and Engineering, Navigation, and even
Medicine (Bangura, 2011). Many advances in metallurgy and tool making were also made across
Modern concepts in mathematics like the first method of ancient Africa. These include steam engines, metal chisels and saws,
copper and iron tools and weapons, nail, glue, carbon, steel and bronze
counting were first developed in Africa. People in present- weapons and art. Advances in Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda between
day Zaire and Yoruba people in what is now Nigeria 1,500 and 2,000 years ago surpassed those of Europeans then and
developed their own numeration system 8,000 years ago. were astonishing to Europeans when they learned of them. Ancient
The Yoruba system was based on units of 20 instead of 10 Tanzanian furnaces could reach 1800°C, 200-400°C warmer than
and required impressive amount of subtraction to identify those of the Romans (Asante, 1983).
different numbers. Scholars have lauded this system because The African empire of Egypt developed a vast array of diverse
structures and great architectural monuments along the Nile, the
it required much abstract reasoning (Spence, 2000). largest and most famous of which are the Great Pyramid of Giza and
In terms of Astronomy, a structure known as African the Great Sphinx of Giza. In the 12th century, hundreds
Stonehenge in present-day Kenya which is constructed it cities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique made of massive stone
around 300 BC was a remarkably accurate calendar. The complexes and huge castle-like compounds existed. The Empire of
Dogon people of Mali have various astronomical discoveries Mali boasted impressive cities including - uktu with grand palaces,
wherein they knew of the Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moon, the mosques and universities in the 13th century (Adams. 1983).
Many treatments used today were employed by
several ancient people throughout Africa. Before
the European invasion of Africa, medicine in
Nigeria and South Africa was more advanced than
medicine in Europe. Some of these practices were
the use of plants with salicylic acid for pain,
kaolin for diarrhea, and extracts that were
confirmed in the 20th century to kill Gram
positive bacteria. Other plants used had anticancer
properties, caused abortion, and treated malaria.
Medical procedures performed in ancient Africa
before they were performed in Europe included
vaccination, autop) | limb traction and broken
bone setting, bullet removal, brain surgery, skin
grados filling of dental cavities, installation of
false teeth, anesthesia, and tissue caules
