The year of 1680, a man, created a miniature cosmos. He wants to say that all the things there are settled in their own places because there is a certain law. The objects are either attracted or repelled to each other and still remains within a system. This is called the natural law. Every natural thing works according to this law.
What if, human mind is like a cosmos? A new idea in a head is either attracted by the old ones, therefore creates its place, or it is rejected when it does not match!
Okay, let get back in 1500’s. How do you think people bahave there? Surely they are not as knowledgeable as us. They have their own way of thinking, right?
Now tell me one thing, do you believe that people who are ignorant, are ignorant because they do not ask any question? They do not want to find the truth? They just accept whatever they are told?
The last line, ‘they just accept whatever they told’ certainly rises a question, who tells so?
Well, human minds never cease to search for a reason until they find something reliable. Until 300 years ago, people used to end up returning to god. Ancila Theologiae ‘The Hand Maiden of Theology’ reigned that time.
Out of these ordinary people, a great thinker was born in mid 1600’s, who revealed his theory of ‘Natural Law’ in 1680’s. He believed in observation. He believed that facts are not chaotic, it all has a certain pattern!
Sir Issac Newton worked on physical science. There were philosophers like John Locke, Thomas Hobbes who linked it with human psychology. As I said before, Newton’s miniature cosmos is like a metaphor of human minds!
Newtonian Revolution
We should first observe something to know how it works- this is called rational thinking. Newton, influenced by Galileo, taught us to do reasoning. He applied rational thinking in physics. But it contributed to society marvelously! This reasoning, led us towards enlightenment. A journey from metaphysical (religion based) society to positive (scientific) society was definitely a revolution. The era of Ancila Physicae (The hand Maiden of Physics) did start in 1700’s. I would love to say, it is Newtonian Revolution which later influenced so many scholars to think deeper and rationally. One example is Auguste Comte’s law of three stages.
I personally believe some people are still in their own metaphysical era. Let me know if you agree!
samha's table 