Galileos View of the New World Essay - 1339 Words

Galileo’s letter to the Grand Duchess Christina caused much controversy when it was written in 1613. It caused such controversy because it was an indirect attack on the Catholic Church with a viewpoint that was not of the ‘status quo’. This essay will thoroughly analyse this document. It will analyse the context behind what was happening in 17th century with regards to science and religion. Secondly it will critically explain and analyse the grounds behind why this document actually holds significance. This will make the argument that Galileo wanted to make the distinction between science and religion. In order to understand and analyse this source, the letter needs to be in its 17th century context. During this period, the Catholic†¦show more content†¦He argues that Galileo liked to create controversy . This could set a precedent that Galileo wanted to cause uproar by going so far to the extreme that the nobles and the Church would take a serious look into his findings, when he may have exaggerated certain points. One of Galileo’s main issues was the purpose of scripture with regards to interpretation. Galileo makes the argument that Scripture cannot be wrong but it is up to the interpretation of it. For example, he stated, â€Å"Though the scripture cannot err, nevertheless some of its interpreters and expositors can sometimes err in various ways† . Furthermore he states that if we were to take the literal meaning of what the scripture states – we would be personifying God by giving him human characteristics of a body and emotions. In essence the literal interpretation would give God the right to make mistakes, which of course would not be accepted by anyone in the church. Galileo did have a basis for his argument on the relation of the interpretation of scripture with regards to science. Copernicus, in his letter to Pope Paul III, stated that there are many differing interpretations within the scientists focused on astronomy. One of the main points he makes is that astronomers cannot agree on how to accurately measure the tropical year . CopernicusShow MoreRelatedGalileo was the Greatest Innovator and Scientific Mind of his Time829 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"I decided to stand alone on the throne of the world, because I believe all good philosophers fly alone like eagles.†(Axelrod 9 ) . Galileo is one of the greatest scientific minds and innovators of his time. Many questioned his methods of discovery, reasons for why something was happening in experiments he conducted. Galileo’s reasoning is the focal point to his research and helps with the idea of understanding how he thought. Galileo’s inventions were the most innovative and advanced in his fieldRead More Galileo: Scientist, Scholar, Rebel Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagesof most Europeans. During Galileo’s time one in twelve people living in Rome was either a cleric or a nun.1 The Church forbid any teaching that deviated from what was taught in the Bible. To enforce this control, the Church set up the Inquisition. Galileo was targeted by the Inquisition for his observations and experiments. 2 Because his teachings differed from the socially accepted ideas of Aristotle, the Inquisition believed he should be persecuted. Even though Galileo’s observations were much moreRead MoreComparison Between Foscarini And Galileo1429 Words   |  6 Pagescentury, geocentrism was nearly universally accepted. The views of Aristotle and Ptolemy became common teachings in universities and the church. It had been common practice to see the Earth as the concrete and unmoving center of the universe, and the sun as but another heavenly body which rotated around the Earth. However, as technology was expanding, new inventions and devices were appearing that would soon cause a disturbance in the views of geocentrism. Although all the necessary factors for theRead MorePhysics 11373 Words   |  6 Pageshis native Italy, his work in astronomy was widely rejected by his countrymen. His contributions to physics also place him in the ranks of the greatest scientists of all time. Without Galileo’s contributions to astronomy, mathematics, and physics, we would lack many basic understandings of the universe and our world. Body Galileo Galilei was the son of a musician born in Pisa, Italy in 1564. He studied medicine, but his interests laid in mathematics and physics. At age twenty-five, he became aRead MoreEssay about The Trial of Galileo598 Words   |  3 PagesThe Trial of Galileo The trial of Galileo is an important event in the history of science. We now know, the Roman Catholic church now recognizes, that Galileos view was correct. What were the arguments on both sides of the issue as it was unfolding? Search the web for documents that chronicle the trial and discuss briefly the case for and against Galileo in the context of the times in which the trial occurred. Be sure to accurately reference your web sources! Your postingRead MoreGalileo versus the Catholic Church1679 Words   |  7 Pagesamong the first to criticize Galileo for his Copernican views (Linder). The Copernican theory contravened the belief of the Holy Scripture that the Earth was in the middle of the universe (Andrade, 125). Lorini used Joshua 10:13 and Isaiah 40:22 as support. Joshua 10:13 states that â€Å"So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven†. Isaiah 40:22 talks about â€Å"the heavens stretched out as a curtain† above â€Å"the circle of the earth† (Linder). Galileo’s â€Å"Letter to Castelli† in December of 1613 was a reply toRead MoreGalileo And The Scientific Revolution1549 Words   |  7 Pagesabout a simple telescope built by Dutch eyeglass makers and soon developed one of his own. In August, he demonstrated it to some Venetian merchants, who saw its value for spotting ships and gave Galileo a salary to manufacture several of the m.   Galileo’s ambition pushed him to go further, and in the fall of 1609 he made the fateful decision to turn his telescope toward the heavens. Using his telescope to explore the universe, Galileo observed the moon and found Venus had phases like the moon, provingRead MoreGeocentric Model Of The Galaxy1683 Words   |  7 Pagescan be defined as the difference between Galileo’s belief in heliocentricity, the Church’s belief in geocentricity, and the trial between Galileo and the Church. Using the first ever rudimentary telescope that he designed, Galileo observed that like the Moon, Venus went through phases as well. This proved that everything orbited the Sun, thus proving that the Earth orbited the sun. Galileo also observed the four major moons that orbit Jupiter. Galileo’s findings proved that not all things orbitRead MoreGalileos Discoveries of How Things Work Essay1695 Words   |  7 Pages Have you ever thought about the different types of resources or laws that explain and define the marvels of the world? All the things that explain and describe the way things work didn’t just come out of thin air, someone; somewhere thought these laws through, they experimented and worked hard just to make sure that they came to correct conclusions. With many obstacles put in his way Italian philosopher Galileo Gallilei, still managed to work out a great amount of laws that defined and explainedRead More The Scientific Revolution Essay1129 Words   |  5 P ageswith questions about God, human aptitude, and the possibilities of understanding the world. Eventually, the implications of the new scientific findings began to affect the way people thought and behaved throughout Europe. Society began to question the authority of traditional knowledge about the universe. This in turn, allowed them to question traditional views of the state and social order. No longer was the world constructed as the somewhat simple Ptolemaic Model suggested. The Earth for the first