Final answer:
Before the Scientific Revolution, people primarily turned to religious teachings and philosophical reasoning to understand the natural world, rather than empirical evidence. The Renaissance was a turning point where nature started to be seen as knowable through experiments and observations. This paved the way for the Scientific Revolution and subsequent Enlightenment, where scientific inquiry became the basis for understanding and modernization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Seeking Answers Before the Scientific Revolution
Before the Scientific Revolution, people generally sought answers to their questions about the natural world through religious and superstitious beliefs. They often turned to theological explanations prescribed by the Church or traditional ancient texts, which usually did not involve empirical research or scientific methodology. Knowledge was primarily derived from philosophical reasoning and authoritative sources rather than observation and experimentation.
During the Renaissance, the approach toward understanding nature began to change. Pioneers started to consider nature as rational and ultimately knowable. This period set the stage for the Scientific Revolution, where the systematic process of experiments and observations was used to uncover the secrets of the natural world. It marked a shift from reliance on religious and philosophical authorities to evidence-based scientific inquiry.
The Enlightenment period that followed continued to emphasize the use of reason and evidence over tradition and superstition. Thinkers like Yacob and Copernicus challenged religious authority by pursuing truth based on reason, mathematical logic, and scientific observation. Eventually, this led to widespread modernization and the application of scientific methods across various fields.