"How Europeans Invented the Modern World"

By David Deming

"Modern science began in the thirteenth century when Christian theologians such as Robert Grossesteste became seduced by Aristotelian logic and the Greek principle of demonstrative proof. But when Grossesteste and his student Roger Bacon contemplated the mysterious properties of the magnet, they were forced to conclude that logic alone could never uncover the secrets of the cosmos. Magnetism was a phenomenon that could never be predicted by logical reasoning. It could only be observed. Thus the need for a systematic experimental method.

Gunpowder originated in China, but firearms were a European invention. Cannon date from the first part of the fourteenth century in Europe, and were common by 1350. The use of cannon in particular helped break up feudalism, as it made central fortifications obsolete. Even the strongest structures were now vulnerable. The protection offered by a stone castle was eviscerated. The possession of personal firearms gave individuals more political power, and was an engine for social and political change. The firearm was also the first internal combustion engine, and demonstrated the enormous potential power that lay in confined and controlled combustion."

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