The Enlightenment period in the West’s history brought innovative and developing ideas to society. In a way, this development has displaced other ideas that had some control over the people of that society. It is because of this that new creations happened and members became more socialized and civilized.
Faith Reason and the Limits of Religious Authority
However, some ideas persist in the social context that mounted a certain type of conflict with the scientific revolution. One can easily understand the limits or boundaries of faith and reason by exploring the concept that God has given reasoning abilities to the super creatures of the earth. In the same way, he doesn’t accept the claim of his non-existence. So, the conflict between the Catholic Church and Galileo could not define or explain the surroundings that lay reasoning or the belief that some individual or group propounded.
Clerical Corruption and the Opening for Reform
In the same way, the thoughts or respective approach of a smaller group could not apply to most people having opposite thoughts. The problem with the time of the Dark Ages was that popes, being the religious leaders of society, were engulfed in the corruption of political office and became interested in matters concerned with liberals or people who belonged to another walk of life. Hence, they failed to take care of and perform their religious duties. That lapse on the part of religious members of society provided ways for the reformists to work and make progress.
The Recovery of Ancient Learning
Taking advantage of the space given by the corrupt clergymen and those demonstrating themselves as religious guides, scientists started describing and unfolding the works of ancient writers and theorists. The religious class resisted the majority of the Aristotelian contributions and services. However, most of the work of the Greek philosophers was brought back by these reformist people. Universities started teaching natural phenomena and philosophical thoughts to their students as a clue for the development of the minds of those learners.
The Black Death and the Failure of Existing Knowledge
During the fourteenth century, disastrous havoc attacked the people of Europe through a disease that was estimated to kill more than forty percent of the whole region. The primary cause of the huge number of deaths was the unavailability of knowledge and the sense of how to eliminate that disease. Ships of foreign merchants brought black fleas that used to sit on rats, and they spread the ailment to numerous people in the community. Infected people passed the malady to others, extending to the Mediterranean and even the Asian region (“The Black Death and Early Public Health Measures,” 2018).
Prayer Fear and the Absence of Medical Understanding
As the black plague caught the deprived society of the Middle Ages, there was no way or understanding of such types of severe diseases. That terrible disease left people with no other option but to rely on prayers and the belief that they might get cured with the help of God because they were not familiar with such horrifying natural catastrophes. They also were not told by any group leader how to tackle incidents of these types. In such a way, a lot of people died during the time, and while fighting for their lives, they could not be spared.
Medical Education and Technological Reform
Suffering from such types of distress and sickness, many noble persons of society started to reform society in such a way that they could eradicate such types of highly painful ill-health issues. They brought technological advancement by modifying various tools and instruments primarily concerned with problem-solving. As they developed medical schools and faculties, medicine started as a new medium of instruction. They promoted a number of medical theories to explain the various causes of the respective illnesses. There was emphasis on the practice of medical doctors and thorough training in various concepts of science (Reformation, 2018).
A Broader Humanist Curriculum
Along with education in philosophy, logic, and related courses, a student in Italy was compelled to devote more time to scientific research and knowledge of medicine. There was a proper commission and a system of doctors available to look at, cooperate with, and analyze numerous health issues. The same applied to doctors and physicians serving in various sections. In the same way, they started exploring other fields of study necessary for the people of that time. They also worked in history, poetry, rhetoric, and the attributes of human traits and science.
Experimentation and the Foundations of Modern Science
The scientific revolution has not only enhanced knowledge and numerous discoveries in the age of darkness, but it has also set the traditions and guidelines for modern science. The introduction of new ideas, such as research progress regarding the movements of the planet and all its laws, was also discussed widely among the educated class. This era has enhanced the questions in people’s minds regarding different clues of this world. Many people started experimentation in various fields and also in the subject of mathematics; new formulas were created, used, and applied to the problems concerned (Watson, 2010).
Scientific Method and New Instruments
With the advent of such developments, those who advocated progress in scientific knowledge conducted various studies to negate the beliefs of the Greek and ancient philosophers. In the same way, they also challenged Galileo’s theory about the Earth revolving around the sun. They proved the concept using scientific methods, including a systematic research design. They also analyzed, questioned, and gave hypotheses to the problems and investigations of their concern. Other than these developments, they also invented certain kinds of machinery for the analysis of small types of bacteria and plants that were not seen by the naked eye.
Science Scripture and the Structure of the Universe
Scientists of the fourteenth-century era investigating different segments of life also contributed to explanations of worldly affairs in terms of religious theologies. As in the Bible, according to these people, it was stated that Earth was the center of the universe. They argued that if this could not be explained in a rightful way, people might have concerns about the originality of the holy book. Working on a number of traits that belong to human origin, growth, abilities, and competence in perceiving things was also discussed in scientific studies.
Humanism Freedom and Classical Virtue
Human needs and presence possessed more importance than religious beliefs. This was the idea behind the movements of intellectuals in the region of Italy, which expanded to the other parts of the West. According to the slogans of this educated class of society, man is independent by nature and should remain free to protect his rights and duties. They discussed the high classics of the ancient people who held moral and social values. They suggested that these qualities of ancient noble personalities could educate the dark society of the fourteenth century (“Humanism – Rome Reborn,” 2018).
Religion and Science in Human Welfare
Concluding the remarks about the detailed discussion on the limits of both religion and science, we have the idea that both are important for the welfare of mankind. In this regard, the reformation period in the history of the West brought innovative ideas to the people of dark society. The confrontation between different segments of society surrounded cultural and social norms. Most members of the Middle Ages were shocked by the disease, which divided their thinking perspectives. Some were incorporated with the idea that only God could save them, while others tried to get through some scientific processes. Religious teachings and technology could bring all the good for these super creatures of the mortal world.
References
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Barbour, I. G. (1990). Religion in an Age of Science (p. 208). San Francisco: Harper & Row.
The Black Death and early public health measures. (2018). Broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2018, from https://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/publichealth/blackdeath
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