Galileo: Through A Clear Lens

Galileo, Through a Clear Lens

Many people remember Galileo Galilei as simply the inventor of the telescope, and an important figure in science. However, Galileo’s life and pioneer thinking challenged the old world beliefs of the Church at a time when their word was law; and demonstrated his great courage, his strong convictions, and his thirst for knowledge.

Galileo began his studies as a young boy at a monastery near Florence, Italy. In 1581, he gave up the monastic life at the request of his father, and began to study medicine at the University of Pisa. While in Pisa, Galileo soon became enamored with mathematics, and began pursuing a career in math and philosophy. Only four years later, his education almost came to a halt when he was
forced to leave the university due to financial reasons. However, his love of mathematics would drive him to continue his education.

Unable to be deterred from his studies, Galileo offered private lessons in order to support himself.
He soon began exploring physics, especially motion, which he pursued for nearly two decades. Galileo’s confidence and intelligence had earned him powerful friends, and he soon acquired the Chair of Mathematics at the University of Pisa. While teaching at the University of Pisa, Galileo began exploring the properties of falling objects. He realized that objects do not fall proportionally to their weight, as Aristotle claimed. This discovery followed a trend of his departure from Aristotelian science, the only accepted standard and Church sanctioned views at the time.

Galileo’s rejection of Aristotle made him a black sheep in the world of science, and his contract was not renewed at the University of Pisa. However, Galileo quickly found a position at another university and continued his studies. He soon developed the Law of Falling Bodies and determined that projectiles follow the path of a parabola, both of which were direct contradictions to Aristotle. Then, in 1609, Galileo learned that a telescope had been invented in the Netherlands. His perfection of this device would lead him to a series of discoveries that would shake the foundations of the Catholic
Church.

In 1609, Galileo devised his own telescope, with a greatly improved design and function. With the magnification of his device, Galileo was able to observe the heavens in a way they had never been seen before. He determined that the Moon was rugged, and mountainous, as well as spherical. He discovered four moons that revolved around Jupiter, instead of Earth; and that Venus went through phases similar to the moon, implying that it, too, did not orbit the Earth. All of these things contradicted the notions of science and the Church. The Catholic Church had begun to take notice of Galileo’s denial of earth-centered Aristotelian science and support of Copernicus’ sun-centered theories. The last straw was when Galileo broke one of the fundamental rules of the Church and tried to interpret the Bible.

Galileo was a devout Catholic.
In fact, he was so convicted in his beliefs that, even though his findings went against the word of the Church, he was determined to find a way reconcile them with the Bible. However, Galileo lived at a time when laypeople were not allowed to read the Bible on their own. The Church soon learned of his endeavors to justify his findings, and Galileo went to Rome to defend himself and the Copernican theory. Things went poorly for Galileo in Rome; the Copernican theory had recently been examined by the Inquisition, and declared heretical. As a result, Galileo was admonished not to publically endorse the Copernican theory. Galileo was torn between the truth he was seeking, and the orders of the Church. Eventually, his devotion to the Church won out, for a
time.

The Church’s opposition to the Copernican theory kept Galileo silent on the issue for several years, but he soon found himself drawn back into the debate. After speaking through a student for a time, Galileo published a book under his own name, in which he laid the foundations for the modern scientific method. The book gained much acclaim, and it was dedicated to the newly named Pope Urban VIII, a close friend of Galileo. After several meetings, the Pope told Galileo he could discuss the Copernican theory but only hypothetically. Emboldened, Galileo published a book in the form of a discussion between three parties, one representing Copernicus’ heliocentric theory, one impartial, and one in favor of geocentricism. The book, a poorly constructed attempt at balance, proved to be an over step, and many people believed the Church was being mocked by it. Backlash was swift; Galileo was called before the inquisition, and found to be under suspicion of heresy. Galileo spent his remaining nine years under house arrest, but still managed to be a pioneer in the world of science.

Galileo risked his life and challenged an unforgiving authority to further the thinking of the world. His acts showed his steadfast courage, his unwavering devotion to his beliefs, and his dogged pursuit of the truth. The world would have suffered greatly in its knowledge of the universe and its approach to science if Galileo had buckled under the pressure of his peers and abandoned his research.