296
See also: Global warming 202–203 ■ A holistic view of the earth 210–211
■ Pollution 230–235 ■ Environmental ethics 306–307T
he Renaissance (“rebirth”)
between the 14th and 17th
centuries is primarily
associated with the arts and
culture that flourished across
Europe as the Catholic Church’s
authority began to be challenged. It
was also a time of extraordinary
scientific advances, which some
saw as the beginnings of a
“scientific revolution.” Discoveries
in astronomy, physics, and medicine
gave rise to the idea that science
could tell humans everything about
the universe, and that knowledge
would make humans its masters.Many scientists of the era believed
that humans had a privileged place
in a universe created by God for
humanity to inhabit. English
philosopher and scientist Francis
Bacon (1561–1626), a pioneer in the
development of scientific method,
reinforced this idea; the natural
world, in his view, existed to
provide for humans, and should be
conquered and exploited.
Bacon’s view later became
known as “Imperial Ecology”—the
idea that humanity’s knowledge of
science and technology should be
used to gain dominance over the
natural world. Imperial ecology
became the predominant ideology
throughout the Renaissance, the
Enlightenment—an 18th century
movement dedicated to the pursuit
of knowledge—and later the
Industrial Revolution of the 18th
and 19th centuries. ■THE DOMINION OF
MAN OVER NATURE
RESTS ONLY ON
KNOWLEDGE
HUMANKIND’S DOMINANCE OVER NATURE
IN CONTEXT
KEY FIGURE
Francis Bacon (1561–1626)BEFORE
c.9500 bce The first
agricultural crops are
cultivated in the Middle East.340s bce The Greek
philosopher Aristotle devises a
“ladder of being” with man at
the top.15th century The “Age of
Discovery” begins: Europeans
set out to explore the world in
search of new resources.AFTER
c.1750 New technology such
as the steam engine launches
the Industrial Revolution,
which begins in Britain.1866 Gregor Mendel pioneers
the science of genetics,
breeding 22 varieties of peas.1970s The first experiments
in genetic engineering—the
direct manipulation of DNA by
humans—take place.Sir Francis Bacon sits for a portrait
in parliamentary robes. Bacon had
an illustrious political career; knighted
in 1603, he served as Lord Chancellor
of England from 1618 to 1621.US_296-297_Man_dominance_Peaceful_co-existence.indd 296 22/11/2018 17:51