Re: Galileo vs. The Church
David Campbell (bivalve@mailserv0.isis.unc.edu)
Tue, 6 Jan 1998 13:59:32 -0400>I am wondering if there are some historians out there who can
>comment on this. From what I heard, Galileo, when he first published
>his theories about the Solar System, the Church largly ignored him.
>It was some secular philosophers/scientists who were upset about
>the theory and activily enlisted the aide of Rome to come down on
>Galileo. I have not read historical sources on this so I don't know
>if this is urban legend. Has someone studied the historical details
>of the history of the conflict and could comment on this?
Campbell (1984, in Paleontological Society Special Publication 1)
[my father] cites Drake, 1957, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo
(Doubleday) as a source on the academic opposition. He also notes the
unfavorable portrait of the Pope in Galileo's "Dialogue". The publication
of this was important in triggering the crackdown on his previously
tolerated scientific views.