The impact of the scientific revolution: a brief history of the  (Page 5/6)

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1747):

Newton invented a method that approached science systematically. He composed a set of four rules forscientific reasoning. Stated in the Principia, Newton’s four way framework was: “(1) Admit no more causes of natural things such asare both true and sufficient to explain their appearances, (2) The same natural effects must be assigned to the same causes, (3)Qualities of bodies are to be esteemed as universal, and (4) Propositions deduced from observation of phenomena should be viewedas accurate until other phenomena contradict them.”

All of these natural philosophers built upon the work of their contemporaries, and this collaboration becameeven simpler with the establishment of professional societies for scientists that published journals and provided forums forscientific discussion. The next section discusses the impact of these societies, especially the British Royal Society.

The role of the royal society

Along with the development of science as a discipline independent from philosophy, organizations of scholarsbegan to emerge as centers of thought and intellectual exchange. Arguably the most influential of these was the Royal Society ofLondon for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge (from official website (External Link) ), which was established in 1660 with Robert Hooke as the first Curator ofExperiments. Commonly known as the Royal Society, the establishment of this organization was closely connected with the development ofthe history of science from the seventeenth century onwards.

The academy became an indispensable part of the development of modern science because in addition to fosteringdiscussing among scientists, the Royal Academy became the de facto academy for scientific study in Europe. Accomplished scientists served as Royal Academy Fellows and exchanged ideas both casually and formally through the publicationof articles and findings. These scholars, especially Francis Bacon, served as an important resource for the justification of the newfact-gathering, experiment-based experimental method as well as for the validation of "modern (17th century) science." Moreover, the work they published through the society helped gain credibilityfor the society and for science as a discipline. For example, scholars such as Robert Boyle published significant scientificfindings in its unofficial journal Philosophical Transactions (Dear, p 140). Other famous scientists that joined the society included Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton and William Petty, all of whombenefited from academic collaboration within the society and from increased publicity generated by their published works.