Galileo Galilei Conscientious Objector

Galileo Galilei Research Paper What is a conscientious objector? A conscientious objector is someone who stands up for what they believe to be right. Some obvious examples that come to mind would be Martin Luther King Jr., who led the Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s, or Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. An example that most people may not recognize is someone like Galileo Galilei. Galileo was a conscientious objector because he fought for his belief that the Earth, and other planetary bodies, revolved around a single star, which was a very unpopular belief at the time because people believed that everything revolved around the Earth. Galileo was born in Pisa, Tuscany; on February 15, 1564. He was the eldest son of Vincenzo Galilei, a somewhat popular musician of his time. In the early 1570’s, Galileo moved with his family to Florence, where he attended the monastery school at Vallombrosa. When he was 17 he went to study medicine at the University of Pisa, but there he became interested in mathematics. According to Albert Van Heldon’s article, “Galileo”, “[Galileo] decided to make the mathematical subjects and philosophy his
So when Galileo was making discovery after discovery, challenging the authorities, one can only imagine what they thought of him. Galileo was Catholic, so he made his arguments utilizing the Bible. Matt Williams’ article, “Who Was Galileo Galilei?”, gives us an excerpt of Galileo’s reasoning, “Scripture, [Galileo] argued, teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.” As a result of his actions, in February of 1633, Galileo was brought before the Inquisition to renounce his views. He courageously defended his beliefs and was placed under house arrest at his villa in Arvetri where he spent the rest of his life, eventually dying on January 8, 1642; at the age of