René Descartes and Francis Bacon

René Descartes and Francis Bacon, both influential philosophers in Europe during the 16th century, introduced an entirely new way of thinking during the Scientific Revolution. Their revolutionary thoughts and philosophic suggestions encouraged experimentation as well as a sense of human independence.

Francis Bacon played a huge role in the Scientific Revolution by presenting the principle of inductive reasoning: taking something specific and making a general statement in relation to the world. He applied this method to science and experimentation. Instead of merely trusting the Bible and religion's view of how the world was created, Bacon introduced that by experimenting, one can conclude something about the earth. As more people start to experiment and more new conclusions about the world pile up, a whole new philosophy emerges and replaces the Church's role: science.

René Descartes introduced the importance of thought; how a human's most important natural and inevitable feature is the ability to think. In a world in which God was believed to control everything, this new idea of thinking for one's self pointed out the science and natural ability within an individual, perhaps suggesting that he or she is not controlled by God. As people gained knowledge of Descartes' principle, they developed a sense of independence and self-empowerment.