Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. ~ Lord Acton
Galileo is Tall Poppied by the Pope
Lord Acton’s famous quote
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.
was made in a letter to Bishop Creighton on April 5, 1887. Lord Acton, a Catholic, was a scholar, historian, and a most learned man of nineteenth-century England.
Acton believed and proclaimed that people of power, especially monarchs and popes, should be held to a higher standard of judgment (above reproach) because of their power. Their actions should not be unconditionally assumed to be right or good. Power permits cruelty and injustice.
Galileo
Galileo was born in Pisa (part of the Duchy of Florence), Italy, in 1564. The Renaissance was in full bloom and gave rise to some of history’s greatest thinkers, artists, and scientists. He studied at the University of Pisa and later became a professor of mathematics there. Throughout his career, he held academic positions in Pisa and Padua and eventually became the chief mathematician and philosopher to the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Although he was a pious Catholic, he fathered three children out of wedlock – two daughters and a son. This made the girls unmarriageable causing them to spend their lives in a religious order. One is buried at the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, where Galileo was eventually buried.
Academic Achievements
Galileo made numerous important discoveries and contributions to science. He improved the telescope and used it to create revolutionary astronomical observations, including the discovery of four of Jupiter’s largest moons, now known as Galilean moons; the description of the moon’s cratered surface; the observation of sunspots which challenged the idea of perfect celestial bodies; and
the observation of Venus’s phases which provided strong evidence for the heliocentric model.
Laws of Motion
According to a popular account, Galileo dropped two spheres of different masses from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they would fall at the same rate, regardless of their mass. This was intended to disprove Aristotle’s theory that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.
Many historians believe this was more of a thought experiment than a physical demonstration. Galileo used this scenario to illustrate his ideas about motion and gravity, which he later detailed in his writings.
Whether or not the physical experiment occurred the concept itself was revolutionary. It symbolized the shift from Aristotelian physics to a new understanding based on empirical observation and experimentation. This laid the groundwork for modern physics and influenced later scientists like Isaac Newton.
Heliocentric Theory
The heliocentric theory is an astronomical model that places the Sun at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets orbiting around it. This model, which revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos, contrasts the earlier geocentric model that positioned Earth at the center of the universe.
Key aspects of the heliocentric theory include: the sun is at the center of the solar system; the earth and other planets revolve around the Sun; and the earth rotates on its axis.
The heliocentric model was first proposed by the Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos in the 3rd century BC. However, it gained widespread attention and development during the Renaissance, primarily through the work of Nicolaus Copernicus. Copernicus published his comprehensive heliocentric model in his book “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) in 1543. The Copernican heliocentric model helped explain several observed phenomena.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church’s opposition to the heliocentric theory stemmed from several factors. The heliocentric model contradicted certain Bible passages that suggested the Earth was stationary and at the center of the universe. The Church had long endorsed the geocentric model, which was integrated into its theological framework. Accepting heliocentrism would challenge this established doctrine. The geocentric view was the prevailing scientific model at the time, supported by most scholars and based on Aristotelian physics.
Church leaders worried (fear) that accepting heliocentrism might undermine broader theological teachings and the Church’s authority. The Church was consistently hesitant to embrace new scientific theories without conclusive proof, fearing it might endorse incorrect ideas. The controversy was exacerbated by Galileo’s insistence on presenting heliocentrism as fact rather than theory, against the advice of Church officials.
Conflict and Cut Down
Galileo’s support for the heliocentric model of the solar system led to a significant conflict with the Catholic Church. In 1616, Galileo was formally banned from teaching or defending the Copernican theory that the Earth orbits the Sun. Despite initial approval, Galileo’s book “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” angered Pope Urban VIII, who felt deceived by its content.
The Inquisition of 1633 refers to the trial of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Inquisition for his support of heliocentrism. This trial was the culmination of a long-standing conflict between Galileo and the Church regarding the Copernican model of the solar system.
Galileo was summoned to Rome in October 1632 to face the Inquisition. The trial culminated on June 22, 1633, when Galileo was sentenced to life imprisonment (later commuted to house arrest) and forced to recant his beliefs.
Galileo was found “vehemently suspect of heresy” for defending Copernicus’s hypothesis of the earth’s motion. The Inquisition banned Galileo’s book “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” and declared the heliocentric theory heretical.
The 1633 Inquisition of Galileo is considered a significant event in the history of science and religion, highlighting the tension between scientific discovery and religious doctrine during the Scientific Revolution.
Down but not Out
Although Galileo was tall poppied by the Pope, he, like many TPs, is refractory to impediments and finds a way back to Poppydom.
Galileo spent most of his time under house arrest at Villa Il Gioiello (“The Jewel”) in Arcetri, on the outskirts of Florence, Italy. He moved to this villa in September 1631 and lived there until he died in 1642. The villa was in a favorable position in the hills of Arcetri, close to the convent where his daughters lived.
While under house arrest, Galileo lived comfortably in this villa, cared for by servants and assisted by an amanuensis. He continued his scientific work, including writing his important work “Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences”.
