Galileo Free Response Essay

"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?"

Galileo was considered to be a “hero” of science, one who brought about new ideas, and questioned and contemplated old ones. He became a famous man because of his accomplishments, and also because of his impact on Western Civilization. He went through hardships to reach his goals of becoming a great mathematician and philosopher. The trials and tribulations of Galileo were beneficiary to the science of his own time, while also affecting the science, mathematics, and methodology that would bring about debate and be revolutionized in the years to come.

Galileo was a man of great knowledge. He supported the Copernican theory, which was a theory introduced by Nicolas Copernicus. This theory, or system, dealt with the axis of planets, the sun, and their rotation. Galileo was a supporter of this theory, and even wrote a book about it. He was then asked not to be a promoter for this theory and to stop all advocacies that he was doing. Later in Galileo’s life, he was put on trial and condemned because of a book he wrote that was published. With these examples, it is obvious to see that Galileo put himself on the line for what he believed in and for what he had accomplished He did not back down from his beliefs, even though he was questioned about them because of the skeptical period of time that he lived in. When Galileo was born, the word ‘science’ was not a known thing, but when he died, science was well on its way to becoming very popular, and at the same time, very interesting. Galileo took great part in this new idea and way of thinking. He was named Mathematician at the University of Padua and was an aid to the Duke of Tuscany because of his knowledge. He was appreciated and admired for his knowledge in the world of science and mathematics. During Galileo’s time, science and mathematics were not the focus on most people mind, but Galileo’s mind worked differently, and he thought differently. He continued to gain knowledge, ideas, skills, and facts that would help him to be a great mathematician and philosopher, and ultimately, the ‘hero’ of science that he is known as today. He helped to establish a way of thinking and a new subject to be studied during his years of life.

During the time of Galileo, the world of science started to grow. Science was not known when Galileo was born, but when he died, it was very well on its way to being a well-known idea, instead of just a new concept that was beginning to be looked at. He contributed immensely to this monumental time in history with his wealth of knowledge and ideas. Galileo made improvements that would forever change the world. Improvements were such that he named the moons of Jupiter after the Medici, studied the telescope and all the wondrous things that could be achieved with it, and wrote many books about the knowledge that he was gaining. With the findings from studying the telescope, Galileo wrote The Starry Messenger. Galileo was a man who brought about much change and intelligibility that affected the age of science that was prevalent in the world around him. His ideas stayed with those he left before him, and they are still with the world today.

To this day, Galileo’s work is being questioned. A common question asked, ‘How does his mathematics relate to natural philosophy?’ It is said that Galileo’s work is able to be split into three groups: science, methodology, and mathematics. Without his improvements during his years of life, Western Civilization would not have been impacted in the way that it has been, and debate would not still be going on hundreds of years later about Galileo’s life and works. Galileo’s wise thoughts and words helped to shape the scientific revolution that occurred in Europe. His work showed the revolution that was just yet to come. It pointed towards a bright future that expressed the new age of science and math in the world.

Galileo’s knowledge will never be forgotten. His ways of thinking changed the history of the world and the way that many topics and subject are looked at and viewed. He truly was a ‘hero’ of science, one whose accomplishment were tremendous. Galileo went through trials and tribulations, but shared his knowledge with the world, shaped the future, and perpetually changed how people look at the world of science and mathematics.