Galileo's Mistake: A New Look at the Epic Confrontation Between
The classic understanding of the notorious 1633 trial of Galileo by the Inquistition is that of Science and Reason persecuted by Ignorance and Superstition--of a lonely, courageous freethinker oppressed by a reactionary, anti-intellectual institution fearful of losing its power. Wade Rowland ingeniously uses the Socratic method to illustrate that Galileo's mistake was to insist that science--and only science--provides the truth about nature. The Church responded to this challenge by declaring that science provides mere models for reality and that ultimate truth is accessible only through metaphysical or spiritual insight. While the Inquisition focused on the scientist's telescopic observations of the night sky, Rowland contends that the disagreement centered on an infinitely more profound question: What is truth and how can we know it?
- The enduring popularity of Galileo's Daughter and Longitude by Dava Sobel demonstrates the ongoing interest in Galileo.
- Takes one of the modern world's most cherished myths and turns it on its head. An intelligent, erudite, thoughtful exploration that will disarm the most stubborn of skeptics, and make for scintillating debate.
- Should appeal to readers interested in science, history, philosophy, and the Roman Catholic Church.
Author: Wade Rowland
Format: Hardback, 320 pages, 156mm x 243mm, 594 g
Published: 2003, Little, Brown & Company, United States
Genre: Inventions & Technology: General Interest
The classic understanding of the notorious 1633 trial of Galileo by the Inquistition is that of Science and Reason persecuted by Ignorance and Superstition--of a lonely, courageous freethinker oppressed by a reactionary, anti-intellectual institution fearful of losing its power. Wade Rowland ingeniously uses the Socratic method to illustrate that Galileo's mistake was to insist that science--and only science--provides the truth about nature. The Church responded to this challenge by declaring that science provides mere models for reality and that ultimate truth is accessible only through metaphysical or spiritual insight. While the Inquisition focused on the scientist's telescopic observations of the night sky, Rowland contends that the disagreement centered on an infinitely more profound question: What is truth and how can we know it?
- The enduring popularity of Galileo's Daughter and Longitude by Dava Sobel demonstrates the ongoing interest in Galileo.
- Takes one of the modern world's most cherished myths and turns it on its head. An intelligent, erudite, thoughtful exploration that will disarm the most stubborn of skeptics, and make for scintillating debate.
- Should appeal to readers interested in science, history, philosophy, and the Roman Catholic Church.