Behind the Scenes at Galileo's Trial
eBook - PDF

Behind the Scenes at Galileo's Trial

Including the First English Translation of Melchior Inchofer's Tractatus syllepticus

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Behind the Scenes at Galileo's Trial

Including the First English Translation of Melchior Inchofer's Tractatus syllepticus

About this book

Galileo's trial in 1633 before the Roman Inquisition is one of the most frequently mentioned topics in the history of science. Galileo's encounter with the Catholic Church was not only a major turning point in the history of western culture; it is the paradigm case of the clash between the institutional authority of religion and the authority of scientific reason, a clash that has helped to define the modern era.

Blackwell's new contribution to "the Galileo affair" concerns the official theological position against Galileo. The centerpiece of his project is the treatise entitled Tractatus syllepticus, written by Melchior Inchofer, S.J., whose judgment of the orthodoxy of Galileo's Dialogue had been requested earlier by the Holy Office and was then incorporated into the proceedings of the trial. At the time, Inchofer's judgment against Galileo's book was both detailed and harsh. That judgment formed the basis for Inchofer's subsequent Tractatus, the first English translation of which is included in this volume. Inchofer's text provides a new and fascinating way of looking at the defense of the guilty verdict. Blackwell's analysis of this material greatly enriches our knowledge of Galileo and his trial.

Both legal and theological behind-the-scenes aspects of Galileo's trial are discussed. Because of a weak legal case, a plea bargain was arranged, extrajudicially, then sabotaged in the Holy Office before the final decision of the case. Through his close scrutiny of the specifics of the trial, Blackwell renders a picture that is more complex, and ominous, than the usual portrayal of the trial.

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Yes, you can access Behind the Scenes at Galileo's Trial by Richard J. Blackwell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Religion & Science. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half title
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Preface
  8. Note to the Reader
  9. 1. The Legal Case at Galileo’s Trial
  10. 2. Melchior Inchofer’s Role in the Galileo Affair
  11. 3. The Scriptural Case against Copernicanism in 1633
  12. 4. Christopher Scheiner’s Dilemma
  13. 5. Fallibilism and Religion
  14. Appendix 1
  15. Appendix 2
  16. Appendix 3
  17. Notes
  18. Bibliography
  19. Index to the Book (Chapters 1-5)
  20. Index to the Translations (Appendixes 1-3)