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Galileo galilei primary source and scientific essays
The contribution of Galileo Galilei to the growth of scientific knowledge
Galileo galilei primary source and scientific essays
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Galileo Galilei
"When all think alike, then no one is thinking." - Walter Lippmann. People who made great discoveries thought differently than everyone else, or they would do the same things as others and never innovate or create. Galilei made discoveries that changed the world. He was an astronomer and astrologer and lived February 15, 1564, to January 8, 1642 (Galilei Biography, 2017). He studied science, outer space, physics, mathematics. Galileo Galilei created the telescope and used persistence to innovate ways to overcome the church (that was against him and didn't want him to study space). He continued with inventing the telescope and making a major breakthrough on studies of space (Galileo Galileo, 2018).
Galilei is extremely famous
In papal Rome in the early 16th century the “Good Book” was the reference book for all scientists. If a theory was supported in its holy pages, or at the very least not contradicted, then the idea had a chance of find acceptance outside the laboratory. Likewise, no theory no matter how well documented could be viewed with anything but disdain if it contradicted with the written word of, or the Church’s official interpretation of scripture. For these reasons the Church suppressed helio-centric thinking to the point of making it a hiss and a byword. However, this did not keep brave men from exploring scientific reason outside the canonical doctrine of the papal throne, sometimes at the risk of losing their own lives. While the Vatican was able to control the universities and even most of the professors, it could not control the mind of one man known to the modern world as Galileo Galilei. Despite a wide array of enemies, Galileo embarked on a quest, it seems almost from the beginning of his academic career, to defend the Copernican idea of a helio-centric universe by challenging the authority of the church in matters of science. Galileo‘s willingness to stand up for what he held to be right in the face of opposition from Bible-driven science advocates set him apart as one of the key players in the movement to separate Church authority from scientific discovery, and consequently paved the way for future scientific achievement.
After reading this letter I feel that Galileo had a very opinionated outlook on life and was heavily involved in a struggle for freedom of inquiry. Galileo was a person who had many strong beliefs and would not let people or a document have a say in what he believes.
However, like Socrates, Galileo was seen as “a man of great insight, integrity, self-mastery and argumentative skill”. Leaving behind legacies in both Mathematics and Philosophy, Galileo, like Socrates, left a huge impact on the societies of their day, providing a new perspective to view the world.
Inventor and astronomer Galileo Galilei is one of the most well-known scientists in the history of the world. Galileo has been credited for many astonishing inventions such as the pendulum and the telescope. Through many years of research and studious acts, he discovered behaviors of the universe that still hold true today. Galileo, “the Father of Modern Science”, changed the world.
All in all, I believe that Galileo has contributed a lot to the entire scope of knowledge as he voiced out his opinions and dared to go against the Church. Thus, he was a patient genius, lucky engineer, and an opportunist, but he was not cynical, a coward or died a modern Socrates.
Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642) an Italian mathematician and astronomer, won the respect and admiration of many people of his time because of his inventions. He constructed a military compass, an instrument for measuring the expansion of liquids, and one of the early telescopes with which he discovered Jupiter's satellites, irregularities on the surface of the moon, star clusters in the milky way and spots on the surface of the sun. He was initially skeptical of Copernicus' theory however his observations and experiments affirmed his diagram of the universe. Critics attacked Galilei's findings. They said that his "discoveries" were ridiculous to believe and that it was only is imagination or dreams. Galilei wrote a letter to Dowager Grand Duchess trying to reconcile his astronomical observations with the Bible.
Galileo Galilei was born in 1564, and was invested into science. Due to rumors in the year of 1609, about a Dutch who invented a device that zoomed in on distant objects (this was known as a spyglass earlier in the years, now its known as a telescope. He heard that a patent had been requested, but was not granted. There was a lot of value in this because the methods were kept secret, and this could be used in the military for Holland. Due to the rumors, Galilei was soon determined and driven to construct his own spyglass. Within 24 hours, only using his knowledge, experimentation, and pieces of the rumors, and never seeing the actual Dutch spyglass, Galilei soon found himself building a 3-power telescope. With some tweaks, he soon had a 10 power-telescope. From here, he demonstrated this it a Senate, and his salary was raised, and honored with proclamations. This shows how smart Galilei was, being able to construct his own telescope with nothing but his brain.
For example Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler were involved in a science called astronomy. Astronomy was the branch of science that deals with heavenly objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. Different scientists invented different discoveries that changed our world today. Copernicus was a scientists who lived in Italy for many years, and discovered modern astronomy. Study and calculation led him to the conclusion that the earth turns upon its own axis, and, together with the planets, revolves around the sun, which led to his theory called the Copernican Theory. Another scientists who was involved in astronomy was Galileo. Galileo made one of the first telescopes, which was very powerful. He discovered the phases of Venus and sunspots, confirming that the sun rotates, and that the planets orbit around the Sun, not around the Earth. Galileo believed that these discoveries committed to the Copernican Theory. Kepler was another scientist involved in astronomy, he worked out the mathematical laws which govern the movements of the planets. He made it clear that the planets revolve around sun in elliptical instead of circular orbits. Kepler's investigations afterwards led to the discovery of the principle of gravitation. Vesalius and Harvey were involved in a science called anatomy. Anatomy was the the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms. Vesalius studied in Italian medical schools, he was the founder of modern human anatomy, and wrote a very famous interesting books on human anatomy called De humani corporis fabrica. His discoveries consisted of the skeletal system, muscular system, vascular and circulatory system, nervous system, abdominal organs, the heart, and the brain. Vesalius discovered that the skulls mandible consists of only one bone. The sternum which is made up of three parts is also one of
science and mathematics played a big role in the development of science. Without his genius it could have taken years longer to discover some of the things he did. Therefore, Johannes Kepler is one of the most important astronomers of the Scientific Revolution.
Another important individual who drove history was the Italian astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei. Galileo discovered something so important that it changed the selfish perspective that humans were the center of the universe and led to the growth of human knowledge. Utilizing mathematics and a telescope he had developed, Galileo observed that the planets revolved around the sun and not the Earth. This was a significant discovery because not only did it contradict what the church had taught, it also showed that the universe was not what it seemed. With this truth uncovered, many people began to fascinate over the universe. This triggered people to begin studying space extensively and eventually lead to present day space exploration. Galileo also left a lasting impression upon many great minds, such as Sir Isaac Newton, who used Galileo's research and theories to further his own studies such as the physical laws, and their properties.
From the excerpts of Galileo Galilei's Dialogue of Two Chief World Systems, there are three characters that discuss two different theories. One character, named Salviati, argues a heliocentric view of the motion within the universe which opposes the geocentric view that is supported by the character Simplicio. The third character, Sagredo, behaves as a mediator of the other two and represents someone who is neutral to as well as undecided between the two theories. During the time that The Dialogue was published, in 1632, the geocentric view, also known as the Ptolemaic system, was widely accepted by philosophers and was supported by the Catholic Church for centuries. Galileo uses his three characters, especially Salviati, to propose his reasons for why the heliocentric model should be taken into account and may even surpass the geocentric model.
In 1633, Galileo Galilei was put on trial because of his work with the Copernican theory. Unlike others of those in the church, Galileo believed the sun remained stationary, while the earth and moon circulate around the sun. After Galileo’s distribution of the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, the Pope gives Galileo’s case over to the Roman Inquisition who put him on trial. Galileo declares that his case of the Copernican theory was to strong, and agreed to refute it in another book if the Inquisition will be more lenient. Galileo pleads guilty and is sentenced to prison for an indefinite term; however, he is later allowed to serve his sentence under house-arrest in the home of the archbishop of Siena. One of Galileo’s attempts to gain the Church’s trust and belief in him was his attempt to interpret quotations of Saint
Over the years, there have been many more important figures in astronomy. One extraordinary astronomer was Galileo Galilei, who invented the first refractor telescope in which light is bent to enlarge an image of the sky (“Galileo Project”). The next great astronomer to follow him was Isaac Newton. Newton had made a great amount of contributions to astronomy during his life. He further proved that the Earth was not the center of the universe and he also invented the Newtonian reflector telescope which is still used today in observatories.
Galileo was probably the greatest astronomer, mathematician and scientist of his time. In fact his work has been very important in many scientific advances even to this day.
Humbled at last by his enemies, the father of modern science wasn’t wholly subdued. His discoveries impacted the world as we see it. Without his sacrifice and motive to fight for what he believed in, we wouldn’t be as advanced as we are today in modern science. Although society advanced by increased knowledge, having more scientific answers, and increased new developments because of the freedom to deviate from established theories, there were some negative effects. Society had lost their innocence and belief in their traditional faith. Galileo’s battle against the Church was worthwhile for generations to come. Without his inventions, theories, or introduction to the concept of theory experimenting, the world of modern science wouldn’t exist as we know it today.