Galileo: A Man on a Mission :: History

Galileo: A Man on a Mission In 1632, Galileo Galilei published his book "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems." As innocent as this may seem, the implications that were associated with the publishing of the book were soon evident. In the time prior to the publishing of the book, Galileo had been warned several times not to publish it by the Catholic Church. The book was a fictitious dialogue between three men, whose purpose was to discuss two theories of Planetary Motion. The theory that Galileo was advocating was considered by the Church to be heretical, and he was told several times that publishing the book would have dire consequences. His pride, his impulsive nature, his arrogance, and his love for science influenced Galileo's decision. Galileo was a scientific genius, but he was also a human. He was too proud to compromise his beliefs under any circumstances. Before we can analyze this decision, we must understand exactly what the book contained. The idea behind the book was to demonstrate the superiority and validity of the Copernican model of the Solar System versus the Ptolemaic model of the Solar System. The Ptolemaic System was a model of the Solar System in which the planets, the sun, and all other objects in the universe revolve around the Earth. This system was supported by Aristotle and coincided with Holy Scripture, and therefore, was supported by the Church. On the other hand, the Copernican model of the Solar system was the basis for the system we use today. It stated that all objects in the universe, including the Earth, revolve around the sun. This idea was what caused problems with the Church. The theory that the Earth was not the center of the universe directly contradicted Holy Scripture. This was the foundation on which the Church based its threats against Galileo. Before we can truly understand the magnitude of this decision, we must also first comprehend the climate of the times in which his book was published. Europe was in the midst of a break from the old method of thinking to a new, increasingly scientific method of viewing the world and society. Until this time, Europe had been in what we call the "Age of Faith." This time period was characterized by a strong belief in the Church and religion. Although still a major force in the lives of the people, religion and philosophy were on a steady decline since the start of the Renaissance when the "Age of Exploration" began.