Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany. (). (abridged) by Galileo Galilei. To the Most Serene Grand Duchess Mother: Some years ago, as Your. In , Galileo wrote a letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany in order to show how one could argue for the heliocentric system. “Contrary to the sense of the Bible and the intention of the holy Fathers they would have us altogether abandon reason and the evidence of.

Therefore, we can never prove false the truths of the scripture by observation; since if they ever appear to be false then we know we have misunderstood them.

Copernicus himself knew the power over our ideas that is exerted by custom and by our inveterate way of frand things since infancy. For when infidels refute any Christian on a matter which they themselves thoroughly understand, they thereby evince their slight esteem for our Bible. Persisting in their original resolve to destroy me fuchess everything mine by any means they can think of, these men are aware of my views in astronomy and philosophy.

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. This is wiser counsel than to condemn either side in the absence of such certainty, thus depriving oneself of continued authority and ability to choose by determining things which are now undetermined and open and still lodged in the will of supreme authority.

Perhaps this gqlileo what Tertullian meant by these words: Websites on Science and Religion. And therefore we should seek the incontrovertible sense of the Bible with the assistance of demonstrated truth, and not in any way try to force the hand of Nature or deny experiences and rigorous proofs in accordance galilso the mere sound of words that may appeal to our frailty.

Of such abuses many examples might be produced, but for the present I shall confine myself to two which are germane to these astronomical matters. I would say here something that was heard from an ecclesiastic of the most eminent degree: Galileo Galilei was a Tuscan Ducjess physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution.

Refresh and try again. Thus grave divines have actually held that the sun was near setting, and indeed the words themselves seem to say so; Sun, stand thou still, stand thou still. He affirms many times that he grants them the highest authority, second to God. The Bishop of Fossombrone, then in charge of tills matter, assigned Copernicus to seek grqnd light and greater certainty concerning the celestial motions by means of constant study and labor. He tries to build her up as an authority figure and then presents his own gaoileo to show that he has similar authority.

Matthew Pittenger marked it as to-read Dec 05, And to ban Copernicus now that his doctrine is daily reinforced by many new observations and by the learned applying themselves to the reading of his book, after this opinion has been allowed and tolerated for those many years during which it was less followed and less confirmed, would seem in my judgment to be a contravention of truth, and an attempt to hide and suppress her the more as she revealed herself the more clearly and plainly.

And indeed Joshua did intend the whole system of celestial spheres to stand still, as may be deduced from his simultaneous command to the moon, which had nothing to do with lengthening the cyristina. If it is moved, they say, how is it a firmament? My goal is this alone; that if, among errors that may abound in these considerations of a subject remote from my profession, there is anything that may be serviceable to the holy Church in making a decision concerning the Copernican system, it may be taken and utilized as seems best to the superiors.

And it would be necessary to prevent Venus being seen round at one time and forked at another, with very thin horns; as well as many other sensory observations which can never be reconciled with the Ptolemaic system in any way, but are very strong arguments for the Copernican. The inherent motion of the other spheres was supposed to be eastward at much slower rates.

In explanation and support of chrostina opinion they say that since theology is queen of all the sciences, she need not bend in any way to accommodate herself to the teachings galilwo less worthy sciences which are subordinate to her; these others must rather be referred to her as to their supreme empress, changing and altering their conclusions according to her statutes and decrees. I think this may be an arbitrary simplification of various council decrees by certain people to favor their own opinion.

Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina by Galileo Galilei

I hold the sun to be situated motionless in the center of the revolution of the celestial orbs while the earth rotates on hhe axis and revolves about the sun. First, those who can tell them the meaning of holy Scripture and how they ought to live their lives; and second, those who can accurately account for the true causes of physical phenomena and tell them how things are in nature.

But the mobility or stability of the earth or sun is neither a matter of faith nor one contrary to ethics. Galileo has been called the “father of modern observational astronomy”, the “father of modern physics”, the “father of science”, and “the Father of Modern Science”.

Letter to Madame Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany |

These people understand neither the Bible nor science, and yet they grant themselves the authority to pass judgement on both, says Galileo. Now if these men know they have such advantages over the enemy even when they stay within proper bounds and produce no weapons other than those proper to philosophy, why do they, in the thick of battle, betake themselves to a dreadful weapon which cannot be turned aside, and seek to vanquish the opponent by merely exhibiting it?

They know that it is human nature to take up causes whereby a man may oppress his neighbor, no matter how unjustly, rather than those from which a man may receive some just encouragement. It was suppressed in Catholic jurisdictions, as were all works of Galileo at that period which dealt with that subject.

Mihael Atanasov marked it as to-read Jan 21, Want to Read saving…. But with superior prudence our authors have forborne to speak of this, as in no way furthering the student with respect to a blessed life—and, more important still, as taking up much of that time which should be spent in holy exercises.

Now if the Holy Spirit has purposely neglected to teach us propositions of this sort as irrelevant to the highest goal that is, to our salvationhow can anyone affirm that it is obligatory to take sides on them, and that one belief is required by faith, while the other side is erroneous?

Lagalla’s De phaenominis in orbe lunae. Therefore if Joshua had intended his words to be taken in their pure and proper sense, he would have ordered the sun to accelerate its own motion in such a way that the impulse from the primum mobile would not carry it westward.

This difference was well understood by the learned and holy Fathers, as proven by their having taken great pains in refuting philosophical fallacies.

Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina

This approach thee some, including Dominican friar Niccolo Lorini, to complain to the Inquisitionwhich tried and eventually condemned Galileo of suspicion of heresy. If the sun had been at the meridian, it seems improbable that it was necessary to pray for a lengthened day in order to pursue victory in battle, the miracle having occurred around the summer solstice when the days are longest, and the space of seven hours remaining before nightfall being sufficient.

Galileo argued that the Copernican theory was not just a mathematical calculating tool, but a physical reality. Matt Sawyer marked it as to-read Oct 28, For it is known that Lactantius—a poor mathematician though in other respects a worthy author—writes very childishly about the shape of the earth when he scoffs at those who affirm it to be a globe.

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