It
was on this date in 1633, April 12, that the Italian astronomer, mathematician,
engineer and philosopher, Galileo Galilei (1564-1662) was brought to trial by
the Inquisition. Of course, Galileo’s heliocentric theories, observations, and assertions
undermined the geocentric perspective that had originated with interpretations of the Bible, so the
Roman Catholic Church couldn’t allow that sort of free-thinking.* He was
eventually found guilty of heresy and was forced to spend the remainder of his
long life under house arrest.
English
novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) offered this observation: “If
Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let
him alone.”
*
Think for a moment, about that concept – free
thinking. If our thinking is not free, what is it? Bound? Constricted?
Limited? Why would anyone choose to
be limited in thought, in the exercise of the brain, the act that most
profoundly defines us as individuals? To what end? Religions that suppress and punish free thought are dangerous and anti-human. Where would we be today without the benefits of ideas from the scientists, poets, artists, musicians, humanists, leaders, and regular people who have enriched, enlightened, and elevated our lives?
Portrait
of Galileo Galilei (1636) by Justus Sustermans (1587-1681). This is a copy by
Niccolo Cecconi (1835-1902) of Sustermans’ original, which had been painted
during the period of Galileo’s house arrest. Sustermans’ portrait hangs in the Uffizi
Gallery in Florence; Cecconi’s version is held by the National Maritime Museum,
Greenwich, London.
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