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 …show more content…
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 …show more content…
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
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 …show more content…
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 …show more content…
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