How Did The Scientific Revolution Change England

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Throughout life, certain events that occur cause major, if not also long-term, changes to lifestyles, behaviors, and identities: starting school, getting a driver’s license, going to college, getting married, having children, and experiencing the death of someone close are all situations that have a significant impact in day-to-day life. In the same way that events shape us as people, they can also usher in change in whole groups of people. With such a long history, England has experienced an abundance of events, and all of them, in each their own way, have influenced the country and helped make it into the England it is today. However, it is the events that impacted the country on a large scale and garnering an almost immediate response that …show more content…

For England, it was a period of restoration, having experienced a decline after the Renaissance; now, however, there was a renewed interest in philosophy and science. London became the center of science in England, scientific journals became very popular, and many scientific societies were formed and devoted to the study and progression of science (Spradley). Because of the influence of John Locke, Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, and other Enlightenment philosophers, there was a high interest in politics and human rights as well. Most importantly, people began applying scientific advances like the scientific method, along with popular philosophies, to their current situation and to think for themselves, breaking away from traditional rules and values. They began moving away from explanations strictly centered on religion and moving towards logic, making this restorative era also known as the Age of Reason. One such example of applying the advances of the day to reality can be found in Jonathon Swift’s A Modest Proposal. In his essay, Swift used logic and persuasion to present a solution to the increasing conflict between Catholics and Protestants, as well as the poverty and treatment of Catholic beggars: selling infants as a source of food. However macabre or outrageous his solution …show more content…

Major changes resulted with long-term effects: Christianity was an integral part of British society for many centuries, and still has its influences today; the Scientific Revolution fostered various new inventions and discoveries; and the Industrial Revolution made England into the first industrialized, capitalist nation in its time. They challenged how people of those eras thought and lived. Additionally, literature such as Beowulf, A Modest Proposal, and William Blake’s poetry were also influenced by and reflected the changing

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