Which movement, starting in the mid-1500s, emphasized careful observation and questioning of accepted beliefs about the natural world?

The movement that began in the mid-1500s and focused on careful observation and questioning of accepted beliefs about the natural world is the Scientific Revolution. This period marked a significant transformation in scientific thought, characterized by a shift away from reliance on ancient authorities and conventional wisdom. Instead, thinkers began to utilize empirical evidence and rational inquiry to develop new theories about the cosmos, physics, biology, and chemistry.

Key figures of the Scientific Revolution, such as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, contributed to groundbreaking discoveries that challenged longstanding views, such as the geocentric model of the universe. This questioning attitude and emphasis on observation laid the foundation for modern science and encouraged subsequent intellectual movements, including the Enlightenment, which built on the ideas of reason and rationality but applied them more broadly to human societies and governance. The Scientific Revolution thus serves as a pivotal moment in intellectual history, heralding a new era of inquiry that encouraged skepticism towards traditional beliefs and inspired a methodical approach to the study of nature.