During the Scientific Revolution, a new approach to discovery emerged—the scientific method. This method transformed how scientists observed, experimented, and reached conclusions about the world around them. It marked a shift from traditional reliance on authority to evidence-based reasoning.

Before the Scientific Revolution, scholars usually looked to ancient texts or religious beliefs for answers. They relied on theories by ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle, rather than experimenting and observing firsthand. By the 1600s, however, this mindset began to change. Thinkers like Francis Bacon and René Descartes believed knowledge should be based on evidence rather than tradition.

Francis Bacon, an English philosopher, criticized the old ways of learning. He argued that knowledge should come from empirical evidence—facts gained from direct observation and experimentation. Bacon encouraged scientists to test ideas through experiments and observe results rather than accept ideas without question. This approach is called empiricism and it remains essential to science today.

René Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician, also contributed to the scientific method by emphasizing the importance of doubt and reasoning. Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am,” which showed his belief that knowledge should start with questioning everything except one’s own existence. Descartes used logic and mathematics to prove concepts, laying the foundation for analytical thinking in science.