Free Response Question 1

"Why are the trials and tribulations of Galileo often considered both predicative of the future of Western Civilization as well as a perfect encapsulation of the context of his own time?"

In his time, Galileo Galilei was a renowned Italian scientist, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher. He was credited with many inventions and new ideologies in his time, some with ensuing controversy. Galileo went through difficult trials in his life, in doing show representing the times that he lived in and how the world would change become because of him.

Galileo was born in 16^th Century Italy, and grew up to be a very intellectually gifted man. Galileo has been credited with countless ideas, thoughts, academic works, and much, much more. His most notable controversy was that of with his proclamation of the Earth revolving around the sun, contrary to a noted Bible passage. This did not bode well for Galileo, as the Catholic Church denied his idea, claiming that it was contrary to scripture, the Church, and God. This was only one of Galileo’s many ideologies brought about, but in this instance the one ensuing with the most backlash. Galileo was deemed a heretic by the Catholic Church, and was ordered to serve house arrest, which he served up until his death in the 17^th century. Eventually, in due time, the Church did come to terms with accepting Galileo’s ideas and stating that was is stated in the bible is not always went literally, but may have a more spiritual, rather than concrete meaning.

Galileo lived in a time wherein the Church had a major influence on government, science, and just about all everyday life in Italy. Galileo was not able to rise up against the Church, and thoroughly justify his claims because the Church was simply just too powerful at this time. Prior to this, the Church fully backed Galileo in his research, finding no fault in his findings. It was only in his believed anti-scripture discovery that created the tension between the two. The Church was able to stop Galileo from his work, and deem his work against the Church, condemning those who agree with such. In this time, Church was still tied with government, so the Church could do at its will, making religious laws now political.

Through the ordeals that Galileo went through during his life, we can see that this would lead to a newly designed future. In his time, Galileo was under the watchful eye of the Catholic Church, with its involvement in the state. With Galileo’s “rebellion” against the Church, he sparked a movement wherein the Church would slowly become less involved with the government. In today’s world, Churches are still a major factor in political affairs, but they cannot compare to the involvement of the past. Not only has Galileo changed the world from a religious perspective, but his intellectual and scientific contributions are equally, if not, more important to modern day life. Galileo has contributed some of the most scholarly ideas of his time, and of all time. He has even been referred to as the “father of modern science.” He revolutionized our view of astronomy, and our place in the universe. He has contributed immensely to the fields of mathematics and philosophy, and so much more. Galileo truly was a man ahead of his times.

Galileo really has revolutionized our world today. He was a major factor in his time, and his proven to still be today, with his inventions, ideologies, or many other contributions to society. Through his turmoil’s and work in Italy, we can see how Galileo’s times where and how he has gone to change the way that the world has become.