The Trial of Galileo by Doug Linder (2002)
This book talks about how a cosmic conflict arises between two worlds. Catholic Church world of absolutism and scholasticism that holds power in Europe is in collision with Galileo’s world that deals with humanism and science.
It starts with Galileo backing Nicolaus Copernicus theory on the celestial orbits revolution called the Copernicus Theory. Nicolaus published a book called Revolutions off the Celestial Orbs that outlined clearly brought the idea that the earth rotates around a sun that is at the middle of the whole universe.
Galileo concludes this theory right at around mid-1590s which makes him write a letter to Johannes Kepler in 1597. Kepler was a German mathematician knowledgeable and had books about the systems of the planets. In the letter Galileo says that he also has agreed with the Copernican theory. Galileo told few of his friends about his findings and thus in a way he influenced them and they believed thus in a way reducing the power of the Catholic Church at the slightest degree.
It talks about Galileo discovering a device called the telescope at around 1609 that made him confirm what he believed of the Copernican system and this gave him courage to argue publicly in a way that favored his belief and Copernican’s. At public debates and dinner parties in Florence, Galileo begins to about what he has discovered about the planetary system. He says the telescope enabled him see mountains and valleys of the moon, the Milky Way, and moons that are four in number orbiting around Jupiter. This were in line with his thinking regarding the system Copernican came up with. Here he was aiming at greater numbers to convince them on the issue which weakened the Catholic Church’s rule.
It talks about Galileo reaching out to disciples like the Benedetto Castelli who was a monk and informing him on the same subject. He also decides to put across his arguments to an enlightened public as a whole instead of academics. He gains backing among gentlemen, businessmen, princes, and astronomers who were Jesuit.
It also talks about Galileo publishing the letters he wrote in the Solar Spots which was like a newspaper that reaches across a number of scientists at that time. Therefore Galileo is seen spreading the word on his findings and the truth about the planetary systems thereby capturing the attention of many which was a threat to the Catholic Church and this in a way reduced their power.
Modern History Sourcebook: Galileo Galilei: Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany 1615.
In this letter, Galileo addresses the grand duchess Christina on his findings of the heavens which contradicted the common physical notions that people believed. Galileo explains to the Duchess that as truths are increasingly becoming known this does not mean that they are destroying the Catholic Church is being destroyed but it only encourages investigation, growth, and establishment of the arts.
Galileo here accuses the church of charging people and publishing a lot of writings that contain arguments that are vain and plus they have imported bible passages that do not fit in the context and are hence ill-suited with regard to their purpose. He explains to her that the Catholic Church is becoming prejudiced against a thing that is true and is does not go against in any manner to the books that are sacred whether of the New or Old Testament.
He seeks for help from the Duchess telling her that the church seeks to destroy him and prevent him from spreading his opinion on the matter. He tells her that the Catholic Church want to make his view of the planetary system to belong to him alone and look new to the commoners.
Ferngren, Gary B., Edward J. Larson, and Darrel W. Amundsen. The history of science and religion in the Western tradition: an encyclopedia. New York: Garland Pub., 2000. Print.
This book talks of the conflict that Galileo had with the Aristotle theory and how he used teaching in the university as ways of disapproving with the Aristotle theory. Galileo teaches at the University of Pisa taught mathematical ideas. The ideas he taught were all based on the teachings of Aristotle. Aristotle believed that objects fall in an empty space at similar densities regardless of weight. Galileo needed to prove that Aristotle was wrong, so he climbed the tower of Pisa. He dropped balls that were of different sizes and weight from the tower and the result was that all balls fell at a time that is similar. This shocked many and as a result he proved Aristotle’s theory false.
The catholic community was a strong follower in the theories of Aristotle. The fact that Galileo proved the theories wrong also proved the Catholic Church wrong. This was a threat to the Catholic Church since their followers started doubting what they based their teaching on. This threatened the Catholic Church and as a result they fired Galileo from the university in Pisa to prevent him from further ‘contaminating’ the scholars with information that they saw was harmful to their thinking. However, as it had already happened some scholars no longer believed in the Aristotle theory this gradually reduced the power that then Catholic Church had.
Tabak, John. Mathematics and the laws of nature: developing the language of science. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Print.
It talks about Galileo using thought experiments to explain why something’s are the way they are. Galileo insisted that mathematical thinking is the best way to go and that mathematics and philosophy are inseparable. According to Galileo we use mathematics as a language to communicate with nature as well as getting feedback from her. The universe is mathematized and this is supported by the fact that God exposes himself in the nature and the minds of the human being. Human mind cannot be compared to wisdom that is extensive and divine, however when it relates to intensity, the mind of the human is prepared with knowledge in mathematics that corresponds with wisdom that is divine. Time is the only factor that brings the difference between the two, since the knowledge that the human mind attains gradually is omnipresent in God’s mind. Therefore Galileo views human intelligence as being divine.
The Catholic Church unwelcomed the notion put across by Galileo. They argue that origin of knowledge is divine revelation relative to human endeavor. Under Catholicism faith comes before reason, that knowledge is a gift of grace from God that is supernatural, and God exposes it because he has exposed it. The human minds role is not to question it but to only accept it.
The book shows that Galileo advocates for the use of human mind and reason when it comes to perceiving things that went against the Catholics view that one should not think about it but just accept. With Galileo’s way of reasoning this opened the eyes of many and they started to see things differently to the way they were used to which reduced the level of power of the Catholic Church.
Galilei, Galileo, and Stillman Drake. Discoveries and opinions of Galileo: including The starry messenger (1610), Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (1615), and excerpts from Letters on sunspots (1613), The assayer (1623). New York: Anchor Books, 1990. Print
The book talks about being polemic against a treaty by Grassi on the comets that were seen in 1618. Galileo proves to Grassi that he was right on the matter of the comets despite refusal by Grassi to accept his idea. The book is dedicated to the pope who is new. The new pope is Francesco Barberini who assures support to Galileo in the church at the highest level. The pope is the one who gives Galileo the go ahead to publish his works but only under the condition that he does not publish them as facts but as a theory. He also gives him the condition that the work should not contain information that jeopardizes the status of the church in any way. Galileo still defiant includes some of the information that provokes the Catholic Church.
Galileo uses ridicule and sarcasm to belittle Grassi by telling him that to disapprove or prove a theory words are not sufficient. Here again Galileo makes enemies who are important since he insults Grassi and in way insulting the Collegio Romano’s officials.
Applebaum, Wilbur. Encyclopedia of the scientific revolution: from Copernicus to Newton. New York: Garland Pub., 2000. Print.
It talks about how Galileo continued efforts by his former role models like Nicolaus Copernicus to convince people to view things in a scientific way rather than in a spiritual manner. Scientific revolution also advocated for the freedom of the people from oppression by the Catholic Church. The scientific revolution that Galileo struggled for also emphasized on the important value of traditional beliefs instead of religious catholic beliefs. It also contributed in a way to the stopping of feudalism that was propagated by the Catholic Church in that century.
Moreover, the scientific revolution strengthened traditional authorities’ acceptance over the Catholic Church’s authority. It also led to an increased educational funding by the government of England and this also contributed to the enlightening of the young generation, since Copernican’s theory and Galileo’s teachings and experimental findings were introduced in institutions.
Therefore scientific revolution reduced the power of the Catholic Church in ways more than one.
Works Cited
Applebaum, Wilbur. Encyclopedia of the scientific revolution: from Copernicus to Newton. New York: Garland Pub., 2000. Print.
Ferngren, Gary B., Edward J. Larson, and Darrel W. Amundsen. The history of science and religion in the Western tradition: an encyclopedia. New York: Garland Pub., 2000. Print.
Galilei, Galileo, and Stillman Drake. Discoveries and opinions of Galileo: including The starry messenger (1610), Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (1615), and excerpts from Letters on sunspots (1613), The assayer (1623). New York: Anchor Books, 1990. Print.
Tabak, John. Mathematics and the laws of nature: developing the language of science. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Print.
The Trial of Galileo by Doug Linder (2002)
Modern History Sourcebook: Galileo Galilei: Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany 1615.
