The Great Men And Women

Some would argue that the difference between an accomplished and unaccomplished person is confidence. Ralph Waldo Emerson certainly upholds this belief throughout his discourse entitled “Self-Reliance,” with the characterization of a man who holds on tight to what he believes in as being the best kind of man. Emerson argues that original and unique thought is necessary for true education and that conformance and perpetuation are the great hindrances to mankind. By putting the very things that he is advocating on display, Emerson’s contention is well-argued to the audience with his use of inclusive language, allusion, and individualized rhetoric. It is this use of confidence by Emerson, that allows his argument to be well-received and seem

During most of the 16th and 17th centuries, it was not easy for scientists to make new discoveries and present them to the world. The Catholic Church, a dominating force during that period, persecuted anyone who would spread ideas and opinions that contradicted what the Bible stated. Both Copernicus and Galileo believed in the heliocentric theory, also called Copernicus theory, which stated that the sun was at the centre of the universe and the earth revolves around it. However, the Catholic Church did not agree with this idea because the Bible stated that the earth was at the centre of the universe and the sun revolved around it, which is the complete opposite. Due to this disagreement, Copernicus and Galileo were threaded by the Catholic Church and

Galileo Galilei, a distinguished polymath that contributed to the commence of modern sciences was accounted to be a heretic. In the year, 1609, the astronomer proposed a new theory reckoned as heliocentrism, the idea that claims that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. His theory contradicted the belief of the Catholic Church who under the influence of the Bible, believed in the theory geocentrism, therefore accounting him as a heretic. Galileo Galilei is not a heretic because his theories were based on clear empirical observations, that scientifically proved his ideas. Galileo Galilei was believed to be a heretic for opposing the belief of the Catholic Church, despite him being scientifically correct.

Emerson begins his major work on individualism by declaring the importance of thinking for oneself instead of humbly acquiring someone else’s belief. Emerson says, “To believe that what is true in your private heart is true for all men — that is genius”. The one who scorns personal intuition and, instead, chooses to admit others' opinions lacks the inventive power necessary for strong, fearless individualism. Emerson says, “Trust thyself,” a saying that ties along this initial section of the essay. This simply resembles to believe others' judgments is poor-spirited, with no inspiration or hope. An individual with dignity, exhibits originality and is childish unspoiled by egoistic desires but mature. Emerson currently focuses his attention

There were many who cited portions of scripture such as Joshua 10:13, which states “So the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven” (Joshua 10:13), and Isaiah 40:22, which states “he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” (Isaiah 40:22), as pieces of holy evidence to refute and definitely disprove the heliocentric theory as truth. However, Galileo could not easily be written off as a rambling, heretical madman either, seeing as his theories were first proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus, who was “not only a Catholic, but a priest and a canon.” (Galileo, Letter to Christina, 2) Even if Galileo was not a respected member of the Church, Copernicus was, and if his theories had originally been proposed by a Catholic canon, then it was harder to dismiss his ideas as heretical. Additionally, Galileo himself frequently offered to present others with evidence of the truth of his theories, stating “to the leading philosophers of the faculty here…I have offered a thousand times of my own accord to show my studies…” (Galileo, Letter to Kepler).

Galileo Galilei was an Italian philosopher born in 1564. As an adult, he didn’t believe the universal geocentric theory of the planets and heavens which was established by the

When it comes to theories and law’s concerning the movement of stellar bodies and why the universe is moving the way it is and how it came to be, data is continuously being added and revised. It is through this constant revising of theories and establishing of laws that core ideas are proven, with modern day scientists expanding knowledge for the rest of us. One of the earliest pioneers of spatial theories was the Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, who used the theories of those who came before and he learned from to paint a better picture of the way the universe was set. True to form, he dealt with accusations of heresy and resistance to his ideas from others during his life, which today are held as being before his time.

It can be inferred from Emerson that the adversity that he so deeply describes throughout his speech could be man’s eternal struggle to discover his own self-reliance and experience real-world connections instead of just reading about them and not fully understanding or even comprehending the meaning of what is being read. Ralph Waldo Emerson separates society into two groups known as “Man Thinking” ( Emerson 2) who has allowed himself to be open to new ways of life and understanding and “Mere thinkers” (Emerson 2) who simply follow the trends and patterns society without any thought of their own. He believes the Mere thinkers are inevitable lost in adversity and do not fully understand transcendentalist ideas. Nevertheless, it will never be too late to find self-reliance and contribute an opinion to the world thus diversifying society.

Throughout history, across time and space, there have been many thinkers whose teachings and ideas have inspired significant changes in the world around them. From Socrates and Sir Isaac Newton to Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, certain individuals throughout history have had both the brainpower and the motivation to essentially change the future, using their new ideas and beliefs to shape the world's next generations into individuals who were, and continue to be, more informed than the last. Who could imagine modern life without the knowledge that these individuals provided us? As with all worldly change, many of these thinkers' views and methods were challenged, but in never backing down, many of these teachings, and certainly the names of the individuals behind them, have stood the test of time, as seen in viewing two of history's most noted thinkers, Immanuel Kant and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Galileo Galilei was also a supporter of the Copernican Theory. Galileo believed the earth, and other planets, rotated on its axis around the unmoving sun. He used his new invention of the telescope to prove Copernicus’ theory. With the telescope, Galileo found sunspots on the earth’s moon, which gave proof to him that the heavens were not perfect and changeless but were more like the changeable earth. iv He also discovered Jupiter and the four moons that revolved around it. He only discovered one moon revolving around the earth. Galileo therefore stated if Jupiter were to revolve around the earth, then the earth would have to have at least four moons, and it doesn’t. v The Church objected Galileo’s theory because the Bible said the sun moved through the sky. Being totally rejected by the church, Galileo was forced to take back what he had written and was also prevented from any further teachings of his theory. Galileo was condemned by the Catholic Church for his ideas. The Church succeeded in silencing Galileo but couldn’t stop the advancements in science.

Still, his real roadblock began with the Catholic Church. In trying to comply with the increasing knowledge of the scientific world, the Church was compliant with people practicing science, and even disagreeing with the Bible, as long as they did not vocalize these beliefs. Pretending that the Earth orbited the Sun was in line, but saying that it was true was unethical. In 1613, Galileo published Letters on Sunspots, which explained the dark spots on the Sun’s surface and the orbiting of the Earth around the

Many of those who have begun to study astronomy have surely heard of Tycho Brahe—the brilliant, but eccentric whose observations would have gone to waste due to his supposed inability to give them a purpose—and of Johannes Kepler—that divine, inexhaustible mathematician. However, Owen Gingerich and Richard R. Voelkel argue that much of these stories are simply that—stories—and thus take it upon themselves to uncover what parts of the story of Tycho and Kepler can be shown as truth, and which parts are merely legend. Breaking down their article into segments pertaining to the greatest endeavors of Tycho and Kepler, Gingerich and Voelkel create their argument by presenting each astronomers blunders, brilliant moments, and bumbling contradictions.

Even though Galileos beliefs were held in practicing Catholicsim, his writings were showing evidence for “Copernican heliocentrism.” The Catholic Church, however, disapproved of heliocentricity, feeling that it was contrary to the statements in the Bible: if God created human beings as His supreme creation, He would place man at the center of His cosmos. (At that time the more literal Biblical interpretation was prevalent with the church fathers, especially among the Dominican Order, facilitators of the Inquisition)2 However, real power layed with the Church, and Galileo's arguments were most fiercely fought on the religious level. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine insisted that Galileo furnish more adequate proof of his new theories before he would be allowed to teach them as true or even as probably true.

While Galileo holds little respect for those who take Aristotle’s theories at face value, he shows no lack of respect for the great philosopher himself. Galileo applauds the fact that Aristotle’s works are examined and closely studied, and “only blame(s) submitting to him in such a way that one blindly subscribes to all his assertions and accepts them as unquestionable dictates” (200). Galileo’s arguments for heliocentrism would convince any layman of their truth, but his opponents are so set in their ways that they would be unwilling to even listen to his concepts. When an opponent relies on ancient words and does not use ration to come to their beliefs, it is impossible to use ration to convince them otherwise. Galileo, in his effort to contest what his opponents consider incontestable,

Often regarded as the leader of the Transcendentalist literary movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that the individual must look inward to find truth and knowledge. He emphatically stressed that one must practice self-reliance: the ability to trust one’s intuition and not conform to societal standards. Through the use of strict form, powerful imagery, and a wise tone, Emerson’s poem “Intellect” urges us to stay true to ourselves by refusing the practice of blind obedience.