Explorations of the major themes of the course "The West and the Modern World". Primary analyses of major documents that form the basis of the Western World.
Monday, October 03, 2005
18.2] Condemnation and recantation of Galileo
Comment on this issue of philosophical significance.
This document, which is actually two separate documents. The first being the Condemnation of Galileo, and the second document being the Recantation of Galileo. Using these documents and also other online sources, it appears that Galileo, with the help of the original theory by Copernicus and technological advances, namely Telescopes, was simply trying to find truth. There are three Questions that the Documents of Western Civilization ask us to think about and answer.
1. How does the office of the Inquisition see Copernicanism as a rejection of scripture?
2. What sentence is pronounced for the second book of Galileo, the Dialogues?
3. Do you think Copernicus and Galileo saw their astronomical work as an attack on Christianity?
My Opinions:
1. The office of the Inquisition sees Copernicanism as a rejection of scripture because to them, the scriptures were law. If something in those scriptures was proved to be or suggested to be false, wouldn’t that cast doubt of other parts of the scriptures?
2. The main point of the Dialogues (1632) was that the Sun was at the center of the planets and that the Earth revolved around the Sun. The scriptures say that the Earth is the center of the universe.
3. No. After reading this document, I feel that Galileo was just trying to educate himself and find some truths. His intentions were not to attack Christianity.
1 comment:
This document, which is actually two separate documents. The first being the Condemnation of Galileo, and the second document being the Recantation of Galileo. Using these documents and also other online sources, it appears that Galileo, with the help of the original theory by Copernicus and technological advances, namely Telescopes, was simply trying to find truth. There are three Questions that the Documents of Western Civilization ask us to think about and answer.
1. How does the office of the Inquisition see Copernicanism as a rejection of scripture?
2. What sentence is pronounced for the second book of Galileo, the Dialogues?
3. Do you think Copernicus and Galileo saw their astronomical work as an attack on Christianity?
My Opinions:
1. The office of the Inquisition sees Copernicanism as a rejection of scripture because to them, the scriptures were law. If something in those scriptures was proved to be or suggested to be false, wouldn’t that cast doubt of other parts of the scriptures?
2. The main point of the Dialogues (1632) was that the Sun was at the center of the planets and that the Earth revolved around the Sun. The scriptures say that the Earth is the center of the universe.
3. No. After reading this document, I feel that Galileo was just trying to educate himself and find some truths. His intentions were not to attack Christianity.
Sources/Links:
-> Wikipedia
-> University of Missouri - Kansas City [Law Dept]
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