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Essay on Galileo Was a Cynical Opportunist

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In this discussion I will argue that during the Scientific Revolution, Galileo was indeed a cynical opportunist. He was also a patient genius who, by luck, was given a chance to become an engineer, but he died a coward with the impact of a modern Socrates. Galileo played a great role in the Scientific Revolution by bringing classical Greek knowledge back into view and discovering new concepts. Many of these concepts contributed to the revolution of science having a bigger part in the culture of the Western world, compared to a previously religion-based society. Despite his great contribution, Galileo was a cynical opportunist, and this is evident in the way he presents his ideas, beliefs and findings to the public. Often, Galileo was…show more content…
Galileo’s ideas and belief in the Copernican system resulted in multiple warnings from the Church about pursuing his ideas too far. One of these warnings was when Bellarmine wrote the Letter to Foscarini in April 12, 1615, showing clearly that he was displeased with Copernicanism. Soon after, Galileo was asked to stop promoting Copernicanism, and Galileo gave a response in the form of the Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina di Medici (1615). In this letter, Galileo defended Copernicus’s ideas using an argument of great skill. This shows Galileo’s naturally exceptional intellectual power, characteristic of a genius. Despite giving a response against Bellarmine, Galileo proceeded to continue his work in private for nearly a decade after the debate with Bellarmine. This shows that Galileo was tolerant of the fact that he may be fighting a losing case against a greater authority, and he was patient about it instead of being offended, merely accepting the problem without acting on the matter. Following the matter, the patient genius waited for an opportunity to act on the matter: when the political and philosophical climates were undergoing a change. Making use of this opportunity in the 1620s, Galileo drafted the Dialogue. In 1632, the Dialogue was published as a book under the title of A Dialogue Between the Two Great World Systems due
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