中世纪(第五世纪至第十四世纪中叶)的欧洲,是在与封建制度结为一体的教会统治之下,宗教的反动影响渗透到社会生活的各个方面,而文化、科学更是深深的蒙上了神秘主义的色彩。辉煌的古代文化被人们遗忘了,圣经占据了至高无上的地位,凡与圣经不合的,均被目为异端邪说而受到排斥。哲学成为神学的仆从,科学只有在服务于教会的条件下才被允许存在。到了十四——十五世纪之间,欧洲社会生产力的发展已开始冲破封建制度的束缚。这一个历史发展的过程表现为反封建的文艺复兴和反宗教的理性主义的兴起。这一个时代是科学真正复兴的时代,诚如恩格斯所说的,是“科学反抗宗教而举起义旗的时代”。伟大的波兰科学家尼古拉·哥白尼(1473-1543)就是这个时 The Middle Ages (from the fifth to the mid-fourteenth century) in Europe, under the rule of the Church, which is a unit with the feudal system, the reactionary influence of religion permeated all aspects of social life, and culture and science were even more profound Cast a mysticism. The glorious ancient culture has been forgotten, the Bible occupies the supremacy, and those who are different from the Bible, are being targeted for heresy and be excluded. Philosophy became a servant of theology, and science was allowed to exist only in the service of the church. Between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the development of social productive forces in Europe has begun to break the shackles of the feudal system. This process of historical development shows the rise of anti-feudal Renaissance and anti-religious rationalism. This era is an era of real rejuvenation of science. As Engels said, it is “an era in which scientific opposition to religion raised the banner of righteousness.” This was the moment when the great Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)