One of the reasons Galileo is still so controversial is that both he and
his "crime"
touch on many issues during a period when the church felt - some what
rightly - that it was under attack. There is a sixteen year period from
when Galileo was warned that Copernicuss' book would be added to the Index,
until the copies were amended, to the publication of "The Two Chief World
Systems". During this period the Church finally started confronting the
Protestants. The culmination of which was the 30 years war. Seven years
into that war Urban VIII wrote the Protestant king of Denmark to see if
they could find away to peace. The King died and his son found a published
the letter. The Pope was fearing for his life and living outside of Rome at
his summer palace, which is now the Vatican Observatory, during all of
Galileo's trial. The Jesuits made an issue of Galileo's character Simplicio
(The Aristotelian) quoting the Pope words. Other character in the dialogue
did as well but this they failed to mention those cases.
The Jesuits had some bones to pick with Galileo, in particular his failing
to give any credit to Steinner for the discovery of sunspots, and his
criticisms of the comet theories of another of their number. Galileo though
comets were an optical effect or illusion. This and his over simplistic
tidal theory were both incorrect.
In 1616 Galileo had a "friendly" breakfast with Cardinal Bellarmine where
he was told not to teach or espouse Copernicanism. Galileo turns the
tables by suggesting that he write a book showing the correctness of the
Aristotelian view. There are two documents of this meeting. One is an
unsigned statement that Galileo is not to openly support the Copernican
view, and the other is a letter from Bellarmine giving Galileo permission
to write such a book.
"The Two Chief World System" is set up as a dialogue between a Copernican
and an Aristotelian with a intelligent third party participating. Galileo
again and again sets up discussions where both points of view are argued
and the Aristotelian view is found wanting. Then in the end all three
characters come together and support the Aristotelian view. Needless to
say the church was not amused.
Galileo seems to view himself as a reformer. His church has erred and he
wants to set it right. In the process he was force to refine much of our
modern view of science. A process that Bellarmine criticizes correctly as
being able to find falsity but unable to find truth.
The problem the church has had with Galileo is that from their view point
he was told not to do something but he did it anyway. Yet the views he
espoused are of course the correct ones. They finally bit the bullet and
forgave him.
As Machiavelli put it "nothing is harder to overthrow then the existing
order of things."
Gary
Gary Karshner
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, Texas
KARSHNER@STMARYTX.EDU