How did the age of exploration change the way Europeans viewed the world?

The age of exploration (the 15th and 16th century) hugely expanded European's knowledge of other continents and other cultures. It did however not change much in the way they viewed the world in a more philosophical sense, nor did it turn them into admirers of other ways of thinking. Explorations were invariably motivated by the hopes of future richness: finding sources of gold, silver and spices and finding the trade routes to get to them. Other cultures - however highly developed - were usually seen as 'heathen' and therefore inferior.

Europeans' view of the world remained highly Europe-centric over the next centuries and their view of the rest of the world mostly changed from 'unknown and mystical' to 'good places to trade with and get valuble goods and commodities from'.