To what extent do recent scientific discoveries in Europe reflect rise Essay

To what extent do recent scientific discoveries in Europe reflect rise and fall in religious observants - Essay Example The most famous being the fate of Galileo who fought and died for his discovery of truth. However these warring sects have also been in compromises later. Both of these sides sometimes supplementing their views upon a common interest. However it should also be understood that religion faced its major opposition not from science but from other areas including politics. Therefore highlighting the conflicts between sciences may be an act of others other than the scientific community who has vested interests. Science cannot be placed as a culprit which started the decline in religion. Religious reformations in the beginning of modern Europe and critical as well as anti authoritarian nature of the renaissance humanism definitely shattered the unity of intellectual thoughts. These developments were vital to the advancement of science. Moreover the discovery of new world and that the earth is round , along with the invention of fire arms and astrology, improved mechanical clocks, developmen t of ship building and new navigational routes etc helped in the opening up of new intellectual perspectives and methods of discoveries that completely depended upon rationalism rather than religion. Clashing with religious beliefs, new claims and discoveries were made based on mechanical terms. The world was explained in a mechanical way rather than in a spiritual way. Moreover scientific objectivity was towards complementing secularism rather than religious beliefs. It focused on how to improve the material life rather than spiritual. Europe witnessed a separation from the spiritual world which was regarded as a fundamental shift. Scientific discoveries enabled to think that the humans were capable of controlling their environment. This radical change of thoughts paved the way for industrialization in the early nineteenth century. It is true that these developments made by science were against some religious principles and thinking but it has also to be understood that the face of religion was somewhat maligned by some elements of the clergy which had political and selfish interests. They used religion to defend their selfish motives thereby creating an impression that religion was always against science or rational thinking (Early Modern Europe. 2008). An exaggerated feeling that always science and religion were at odds was propagated during the scientific revolution. The epicenter of such thoughts were the same culprits who were purely anti religious and others who strongly wished to see the declining influence of religion in Europe. This was especially true with the astronomical discoveries that shifted the focus away from the established Ptolemaic system to a heliocentric system. Really the institutionalized clergy was too much worried upon such developments. At the same time some who took a positive stance advocated that science should not be rejected because of the fact that it truly unfolds the admirable wisdom of God. This concept was developed by Jo hn Calvin. Calvin who was a protestant supported scientific theories to get popularized and believed. Therefore Christianity also saw a division on the basis of acceptance of scientific theories and discoveries during that period. In spite of division in Christianity that into Protestants and Catholics, science scaled new heights. Protestants were happy to support scientific discover