On Trial For Reason : Science, Religion, and Culture in the Galileo Affair

In 1633, the Roman Inquisition condemned Galileo as a suspected heretic for defending the astronomical theory that the earth moves, and implicitly assuming the theological principle that Scripture is not scientific authority. This controversial event has sent ripples down the centuries, embodying the struggle between a thinker who came to be regarded as the Father of Modern Science, and an institution that is both one of the world's greatest religions and most ancient organizations. The trial has been cited both as a clear demonstration of the incompatibility between science and religion, and also a stunning exemplar of rationality, scientific method, and critical thinking. Much has been written about Galileo's trial, but most works argue from a particular point of view - that of secular science against the Church, or justifying the religious position. Maurice Finocchiaro aims to provide a balanced historical account that draws out the cultural nuances. Unfolding the intriguing narrative of Galileo's trial, he sets it against its contemporary intellectual and philosophical background. In particular, Finocchiaro focuses on the contemporary arguments and evidence for and against the Earth's motion, which were based on astronomical observation, the physics of motion, philosophical principles about the nature of knowledge, and theological principles about the authority and the interpretation of Scripture. Following both sides of the controversy and its far-reaching philosophical impact, Finocchiaro unravels the complex relationship between science and religion, and demonstrates how Galileo came to be recognised as a model of logical reasoning. Cover 1 On Trial for Reason: Science, Religion, and Culture in the Galileo Affair 4 Copyright 5 Preface and Acknowledgments 6 CONTENTS 10 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: Avoiding Myths and Muddles 12 Galileo’s Legacy 12 Biographical Highlights 16 A New Approach to Galileo’s Trial 23 Non-intellectual Factors 29 CHAPTER 2. WHEN THE EARTH STOOD STILL 36 Cosmology 36 Physics 45 Astronomy 48 CHAPTER 3. THE COPERNICAN CONTROVERSY (1543-1609) 58 Copernicus’s Innovation 58 The Anti-Copernican Arguments 65 Responses to Copernicanism 78 Galileo’s Indirect Pursuit of Copernicanism 80 CHAPTER 4. RE-ASSESSING COPERNICANISM (1609-1616) 88 The Effect of the Telescopic Discoveries 88 Scripture vs. Copernicanism 103 Foscarini’s Theological Re-assessment 107 Galileo’s Criticism of the Biblical Objection 110 CHAPTER 5. THE EARLIER INQUISITION PROCEEDINGS (1615-1616) 120 Clerical Actions and Galilean Responses 120 Pope Paul V’s Orders 124 Commissary Seghizzi’s Injunction 126 The Index’s Decree 128 Cardinal Bellarmine’s Warning 130 Chapter 6. THE DIALOGUE ON THE TWO CHIEF WORLD SYSTEMS (1632) 134 Resuming the Copernican Discussion 134 First Day: Earth–Heaven Dichotomy 139 Second Day: Diurnal Motion 142 Third Day: Annual Motion 148 Fourth Day: Tides 155 Rhetorical Flourishes and Poetic License 161 CHAPTER 7. THE INQUISITION TRIAL(1632-1633) 166 Complaints about the Dialogue 166 Proceedings Begin 171 Out-of-Court Plea-Bargaining 174 Threat of Torture 175 Sentence 176 Abjuration 180 CHAPTER 8. BECOMING A CULTURAL ICON (1616-2016) 182 The Subsequent Galileo Affair 182 Unbanning Books 184 Rehabilitating a Heretic 186 Proving the Earth’s Motion 192 Retrying Galileo 196 Current Cultural Developments 205 CHAPTER 9. RELIGION VS. SCIENCE? 214 Conflict and Harmony in the Original Affair 214 A Theological Defense of Galilean Science 219 Conflict and Myth in the Subsequent Affair 225 The Villa Medici Myths 230 CHAPTER 10. A MODEL OF CRITICAL THINKING? 236 Learning from Galileo 236 Fallibility and Reasonableness 237 Reasoning and the New Physics 239 Judgment and Telescopic Observation 246 Fair-mindedness, Not Sophistry 249 A Conceptual Framework 254 CHAPTER 11. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS 260 Appreciating Complexity and Simplicity 260 An Elegant Symmetry 263 BIBLIOGRAPHY 270 NOTES 278 Chapter 1. Introduction: Avoiding Myths and Muddles 278 Chapter 2. When the Earth Stood Still 278 Chapter 3. The Copernican Controversy (1534–1609) 278 Chapter 4. Re-assessing Copernicanism (1609–1616) 279 Chapter 5. The Earlier Inquisition Proceedings (1615–1616) 280 Chapter 6. The Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems (1632) 280 Chapter 7. The Inquisition Trial (1632–1633 ̨) 281 Chapter 8. Becoming a Cultural Icon (1616–2016) 281 Chapter 9. Religion vs. Science? 283 Chapter 10. A Model of Critical Thinking? 284 Chapter 11. Some Final Thoughts 284 ARTWORK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 286 INDEX 288 In 1633 the Roman Inquisition condemned Galileo as a suspected heretic for defending the astronomical theory that the earth moves, and implicitly assuming the theological principle that Scripture is not scientific authority. This controversial event has sent ripples down the centuries, embodying the struggle between a thinker who came to be regarded as the Father of Modern Science, and an institution that is both one of the world's greatest religions and most ancient organizations. The trial has been cited both as a clear demonstration of the incompatibility between science and religion, and also a stunning exemplar of rationality, scientific method, and critical thinking. 0Much has been written about Galileo's trial, but most works argue from a particular point of view - that of secular science against the Church, or justifying the religious position. Maurice Finocchiaro aims to provide a balanced historical account that draws out the cultural nuances. Unfolding the intriguing narrative of Galileo's trial, he sets it against its contemporary intellectual and philosophical background. In particular, Finocchiaro focuses on the contemporary arguments and evidence for and against the Earth's motion, which were based on astronomical observation, the physics of motion, philosophical principles about the nature of knowledge, and theological principles about the authority and the interpretation of Scripture. Following both sides of the controversy and its far-reaching philosophical impact, Finocchiaro unravels the complex relationship between science and religion, and demonstrates how Galileo came to be recognised as a model of logical reasoning In 1633 the Roman Inquisition condemned Galileo as a suspected heretic for defending the astronomical theory that the earth moves, and implicitly assuming the theological principle that Scripture is not scientific authority. This controversial event has sent ripples down the centuries, embodying the struggle between a thinker who came to be regarded as the Father of Modern Science, and an institution that is both one of the world's greatest religions and most ancient organizations. The trial has been cited both as a clear demonstration of the incompatibility between science and religion, and also a stunning exemplar of rationality, scientific method, and critical thinking. Much has been written about Galileo's trial, but most works argue from a particular point of view - that of secular science against the Church, or justifying the religious position. Maurice Finocchiaro aims to provide a balanced historical account that draws out the cultural nuances. Unfolding the intriguing narrative of Galileo's trial, he sets it against its contemporary intellectual and philosophical background. In particular, Finocchiaro focuses on the contemporary arguments and evidence for and against the Earth's motion, which were based on astronomical observation, the physics of motion, philosophical principles about the nature of knowledge, and theological principles about the authority and the interpretation of Scripture. Following both sides of the controversy and its far-reaching philosophical impact, Finocchiaro unravels the complex relationship between science and religion, and demonstrates how Galileo came to be recognized as a model of logical reasoning Maurice Finocchiaro considers the trial of Galileo by the Roman Inquisition in 1633, weighing up the views of both sides and presenting an account that incorporates historical context, science, theology, and philosophy. He also considers the legacy and continuing cultural afterlife of this remarkable episode in the history of science.