World Civ Primary Document Analysis

April Hughes September 22, 2006 Document Analysis Dr. Shelton

Galileo Galilei’s “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany” is a primary document. As the title of the document illustrates, it is in fact a personal letter from Galieo, a famous 17th century astronomer, physicist, and philosopher, to Christina, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. The letter is Galileo’s defense of his observations and theories, which had recently come under scrutiny from the Catholic Church. This document shows the oppression of the Church against any individual who stressed the importance of using reason over blind faith. Although this is a personal letter, the tone is very formal. Galileo was a very intelligent man; therefore, it seems obvious that his writings would be well versed. Likewise, he is writing to an authority figure and his writings need to express this by employing a formal and eloquent tone. He also knew that his manuscript would be widely circulated among the nobility, therefore careful attention to detail and wording would be necessary.

The author, Galileo Galilei, has been referred to as the Father of Modern Astronomy, and has made many observations such as being the first to identify sun spots, the Milky Way, as well as support Copernicus’ Heliocentric model of the universe. He attended the University of Pisa, where he also taught mathematics. He was a devout Catholic, but was criticized heavily from the church because of many of his astrological theories. He eventually was forced to denounce his work and recant all of his controversial theories. He was a very influential man of his time, and today is remembered as a leading figure of the Scientific Revolution. In 1613 a former student of Galileo’s as well as a Benedictine monk, Benedetto Castelli, wrote to him about a dinner with the Grand Duke. He told Galileo that a philosopher by the name of Cosimo Bascaglia argued that the earth could not be in motion, because Biblical scripture stated otherwise. After dinner Castelli was called upon by Christina to answer these arguments on the basis of Biblical scripture being that he was somewhat of a theologian himself. Galileo wrote this particular document as a rebuttal and response, defending his theory of a heliocentric universe. He claimed that the earth is in constant motion and revolves around the sun which is stationary. Religious leaders felt that this went against Biblical theology, and many publicly condemned his theory. The tone of this letter is very formal, however it is also very intense and bold in its

remarks against the teachings of the church. The intended audience was Christina, the Duchess of Tuscany, but also the rest of the nobility, and especially the leaders of the Catholic Church. Galileo knew that his writings would reach a very wide audience and therefore he was very precise in saying what he felt. He openly criticizes the church for “showing a greater fondness for their own opinions than for the truth.” Remarks such as this which vehemently attacked the church, infuriated the religious leaders. Because of his audaciousness, he was eventually forced to renounce his works, under the pressure of the Catholic Church during the Inquisition. In his Letter to the Grand Duchess, Galileo notes that many of his discoveries have contradicted previously held notions of physics and astronomy, and that he was aware it had upset many fellow scientists. He claims that many of his opponents have used scripture from the Bible, which they have “failed to understand properly.” He makes clear again his argument, that the sun is the center of the universe, and that all other celestial orbs including earth, revolve around it. He also notes that idea is not a new theory, and that Copernicus, who was also a devout Catholic, held this same belief. In response to the Biblical argument that his opponents use against him, Galileo remarks that the Bible is Holy and can never be false, however, our interpretation of its meaning can be. As humans, “divine wisdom surpasses all.” Lastly he makes the argument that God gave us an

intellect and the ability to reason, and He would not have given us this ability if he did not want us to use it. Because most citizens could not read, and did not own their own Bibles, they relied heavily on the teachings of religious leaders, as to the teachings of the Catholic faith and Biblical truth. Therefore, they could not decipher and interpret for themselves whether the Bible conclusively stated that the earth was the center of the universe. This must have frustrated Galileo greatly, and in his letter he urges Biblical teachers not to lead their congregations falsely. For me this document is evidence of the Catholic Church’s opposition to the Scientific Revolution that was taking place during this time. The Church felt that any theory, observation, or idea that placed reason above blind faith must be swiftly suppressed, so that the Church may remain the supreme authority. By writing to a noble, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Galileo once more proved his intelligence. He understood that the nobles were the backbone of the Church, in that the majority of funding came from them. Therefore to gain the support of the nobility would in effect lessen the opposition from the Church’s religious leaders. If the nobility had supported Galileo, the Church’s purse strings would have been restricted, and they would have been forced to take a less critical stance towards Galileo and his theories. This document is important, in that is shows the power and influence that the Church still held as a political, religious, and moral

institution of Europe during the 17th century. If any rose in opposition to it, they were soundly suppressed, just as Galileo himself was a few years later.