The Scientific Revolution & the Enlightenment in Europe The Scientific Revolution was an intellectual revolution occurring in the seventeenth century. It started in Europe and all Western civilization; eventually spreading throughout the rest of the world. The revolution was based on sixteenth century breakthroughs and an interest in the workings of the natural world. This was a time of many famous thinkers and scientists. Such as Descartes, Galileo, Newton, Kepler, Bacon, and Boyle. These are just a few; who along with many others established the foundations for the modern sciences. They challenged