Write a careful account of how the world appeared different to seventeenth-century Europeans.
The world appeared dramatically different to seventeenth-century Europeans due to transformative changes in science, geography, and religion.
First, the church's earth-centric belief was overturned by scientists who began to understand the solar system. Similarly, new geographical knowledge overturned the Europe-centric view that the Mediterranean Sea was the centre of the world.
Second, religion came to be seen as something which each individual should choose for himself. In the minds of sceptics and non-believers, God began to be replaced by Nature as the source of creation. Even those who retained their faith started talking about a distant God who does not directly regulate the act of living in the material world.
Third, a new scientific culture was established in the public domain through scientific societies. The Paris Academy (established in 1670) and the Royal Society in London (formed in 1662) held lectures and conducted experiments for public viewing.
Fourth, a sense of history developed in Europe, and people contrasted their 'modern' world with the 'ancient' one of the Greeks and Romans. The world also became more connected through new techniques of navigation.
Explanation
The answer draws directly from the textbook context which describes how scientific discoveries, geographical explorations, and changing religious views transformed European worldview in the seventeenth century. Key points include: the overthrow of earth-centric and Europe-centric beliefs, the shift from God to Nature as the source of creation, the establishment of scientific societies, and the development of a sense of history contrasting modern and ancient worlds.