The Controversy over the Discoveries of Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei, born February 15th 1564 in the town of Pisa, a man who played a significant role in the Scientific Revolution, he was a man of many talents as he was not only an artist, astronomer and engineer he was also a philosopher, mathematician and physicist to name a few. One of his most outstanding improvements were those made to the telescope, although Galileo’s observations, made using the telescope, would be one that would arouse much attention and create a great controversy.

Galileo the eldest of six children was born in Pisa in 1564, several years later his family moved to Florence, he was then educated under the Camaldolese Monastery at Vallombrosa a town southeast of Florence. As a young man he continued his studies at the University of Pisa studying mathematics, and moving on to teach; geometry, mechanics, and astronomy at the University of Padua. During this time Galileo had made several phenomenal astrological discoveries such as: the phases of Venus, discovery of Jupiter’s satellites and the observation of sun spots to name a few.

In the year 1612 controversy arose regarding the heliocentric or Sun-centered universe which Galileo advocated alongside the evidence made by astronomist Nicholas Copernicus. Galileo was aware of the position of the greater population of the people and where they stood in terms of their opinions on this matter. The geocentric system of the universe had been presented and was accepted since the time of Aristotle. The Catholic Church believed the geocentric system to be true because there was literary evidence in Scripture. From 1614 the Roman Catholic Church began to judge Galileo’s discoveries and his proposition of the heliocentric system to be false and nearly heretical. F...

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...spect of heresy, namely of having held opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the center of the universe and that the Earth rotates around.” All of Galileo’s books were banned and forbidden.

In conclusion, the Galileo controversy was handled in a manner that was for the good and sanity of the world at the time. The Church took into consideration the consequences and the evidence presented on either side, since Galileo failed to show enough evidence to prove his statement to be true the Church attempted to eliminate any uproar or confusion for the people. Galileo was a very intelligent and enlightened man who did not have sufficient evidence to clearly prove his theory to be true, although the Catholic Church did not handle the situation with great ease or uproar; she acted upon reason which was justifiable and with the consideration of future consequences.