Galileo's Daughter
"A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love" by Dava Sobel
In the third of my own personal series, this is a book I initially wanted to read (yay! science!) but was utterly disappointed upon being informed that it's an attempt to make the great science-man into a regular "down-to-earth" nobody through his daughter's letters. Right. So, why am I reading it? My sister had it on her bookshelf, and asking nicely if I could read it was much cheaper than doing the usual routine at Barnes & Noble.
In any case, I've only just started, but one of the prominent themes is, of course, the conflict between science and religion. Galileo is supporting a heliocentric view of the universe based on his empirical observations of the planets with his home-made telescope. The church (or, nay, certain members of the church) claim his ideas are heretical and impossible because the Bible says so.
The Biblical evidence cited by one church-goer, Madama Christina:
O Lord my God, Though are great indeed... Thou fixed the Earth upon its foundations, not to be moved forever. [103:1, 5] (pg 62 of GD; unfortunately, I don't know if this comes from Joshua or Pslams. THey don't say, and I haven't the urge to investigate. You get the point.)
Suffice it to say, we all know the church's attack on heliocentrism is just getting started, and that's not too surprising. The thing that interests me about figures like Galileo is that, while they are using their rational capacities to a great extent, investigating the universe and coming to conclusions about the nature of things, they
still believe in God.
Like what seems to be so many examples of the "heretical scientist" Galileo himself was a devout Catholic. He didn't see any conflict between his theories of moving Heavens and the the church, but was at a loss-- how could he defend his theories, which he knew to be right, against the omniscient church rallying against him?
In Galileo's words:
... Holy Scripture cannot err and the decrees therein contained are absolutely true and inviolable. I should only have added that, though Scripture cannot err, its expounders and interpreters are liable to err in many ways...
What made him believe in God? Maybe the rest of the book will elucidate this question.
Jenny
Posted by Wern0113 at June 20, 2004 10:36 AM