On Trial For Reason: Science, Religion, and Culture in the Galileo Affair

by Maurice A. Finocchiaro

Overview

In 1633, the Roman Inquisition condemned Galileo as a suspected heretic for defending the astronomical theory that the earth moves, and implicitly assuming the theological principle that Scripture is not scientific authority. This controversial event has sent ripples down the centuries,
embodying the struggle between a thinker who came to be regarded as the Father of Modern Science, and an institution that is both one of the world's greatest religions and most ancient organizations. The trial has been cited both as a clear demonstration of the incompatibility between science and religion, and also a stunning exemplar of rationality, scientific method, and critical thinking.

Much has been written about Galileo's trial, but most works argue from a particular point of view - that of secular science against the Church, or justifying the religious position. Maurice Finocchiaro aims to provide a balanced historical account that draws out the cultural nuances. Unfolding the intriguing narrative of Galileo's trial, he sets it against its contemporary intellectual and philosophical background. In particular, Finocchiaro focuses on the contemporary arguments and evidence for and against the Earth's motion, which were based on astronomical observation, the physics of motion, philosophical principles about the nature of knowledge, and theological principles about the authority and the interpretation of Scripture. Following both sides of the controversy and its far-reaching philosophical impact, Finocchiaro unravels the complex relationship between science and religion, and demonstrates how Galileo came to be recognised as a model of logical reasoning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198797920
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2019
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,086,073
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Maurice A. Finocchiaro, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus), University of Nevada Las Vegas

Maurice Finocchiaro is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., 1964) and of the University of California-Berkeley (Ph.D., 1969); now Distinguished Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus), University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He is the recipient of awards from the National Science
Foundation (1976-77 and 1998-2002), the National Endowment for the Humanities (1983-84 and 1992-95), the American Council of Learned Societies (1991-92), the Guggenheim Foundation (1998-99), and the International Society for the Study of Argumentation (2008). His books include Galileo and the Art of
Reasoning (1980), Defending Copernicus and Galileo: Critical Reasoning in the Two Affairs (2010), Arguments about Arguments (2005), and Meta-argumentation (2013).

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments
1. Introduction: Avoiding Myths and Muddles
2. When the Earth Stood Still
3. The Copernican Controversy (1543-1609)
4. Re-assessing Copernicanism (1609-1616)
5. The Earlier Inquisition Proceedings (1615-1616)
6. The Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems (1632)
7. The Inquisition Trial (1632-1633)
8. Becoming a Cultural Icon (1616-2016)
9. Religion vs. Science?
10. A Model of Critical Thinking?
11. Some Final Thoughts
Further Reading and Cited Works
Notes

Editorial Reviews

"Students of early modern science are indebted to Maurice Finocchiaro for his lifetime of scholarly effort relating to the work of Galileo ... this latest work is also welcome, providing a readable summary of the main issues at stake in the Galileo affair and of Finocchiaro's defence of Galileo's reasoning. I say 'defence' because ... While his latest book exemplifies the even-handedness he praises in the work of his seventeenth-century hero, it nevertheless constitutes a vigorous defence of both Galileo's approach to the scientific enterprise and his attempts to separate science and religion." — Gregory Dawes, Metascience

"Students of early modern science are indebted to Maurice Finocchiaro for his lifetime of scholarly effort relating to the work of Galileo...this latest work is also welcome, providing a readable summary of the main issues at stake in the Galileo affair and of Finocchiaro's defence of Galileo's reasoning. I say 'defence' because...While his latest book exemplifies the even-handedness he praises in the work of his seventeenth-century hero, it nevertheless constitutes a vigorous defence of both Galileo's approach to the scientific enterprise and his attempts to separate science and religion." — Gregory Dawes, Metascience

"a comprehensive account of the Galileo affair ... Finocchiaro's book is a must-read for all those interested in this episode constitutive of modernity." — Revue des Questions Scientifiques

"Students of early modern science are indebted to Maurice Finocchiaro for his lifetime of scholarly effort relating to the work of Galileo... this latest work is also welcome, providing a readable summary of the main issues at stake in the Galileo affair and of Finocchiaro's defence of Galileo's reasoning. I say 'defence' because... While his latest book exemplifies the even-handedness he praises in the work of his seventeenth-century hero, it nevertheless constitutes a vigorous defence of both Galileo's approach to the scientific enterprise and his attempts to separate science and religion." — Gregory Dawes, Metascience

"This is a truly masterful presentation with a critical analysis of the underlying issues; even though it is not geared to the usual small scholarly audience, it will be welcomed by those historians of astronomy who are not expert in the world of Galileo ... Finocchiaro is not afraid at ruffling academic feathers, which is an especially refreshing approach; it gives his text an edginess that makes this book eminently readable and entirely fascinating." — Clifford Cunningham, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage

"Finocchiaro [...] presents the arguments of Galileo, his supporters and his opponents with lucidity." — Geoffrey Cantor, The Times Higher Education Supplement

"A highly enjoyable and profitable reading experience." — José Manuel Lozano-Gotor, ESSSAT News & Reviews

"Finocchiaro does a great job of explaining complexities to a lay audience, clearly with the intent of promoting deeper understanding. Such awareness is required to understand the nuances of Galileo's trial, which involved theological, scientific, and epistemological arguments." — Matthew R. Fisher
, The American Biology Teacher

"Finocchiaro presents a fascinating examination of these [trial] events and the ways Galileo's trial was essential in turning the Copernican hypothesis into accepted theory." — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American

"Finocchiaro [...] undertakes with great care a discussion of the nature of rationality and of Galileo's argumentative techniques ... Combining history and philosophy of science, [he] provides an interpretive key from the point of view of a lay scholar, but always ready to do justice to both sides of the controversy." — Stefano Gattei, Corriere della sera (translated from Italian)

"With lucid explanations and clear illustrations, [Finocchiaro] paints a picture of the early 16th-century worldview ... He takes us there by way of an interesting, authoritative journey through the history of science and philosophy. Enriched with a detailed bibliography and index, "On Trial for
Reason" is destined to become the classic treatment of this subject." — Nancy L. Roberts, Catholic News Service

"Finocchiaro does a masterly job of explaining the real issues involved in the trial and how the trial has been interpreted down to the present day. It is a subtle and complex story out of which Galileo emerges with great credit." — The Church of England Newspaper

"[A] spirited book." — Jonathan Wright, The Catholic Herald

"With scrupulous attention to evidence and the argumentation employed by various participants, Dr. Finocchiaro's book is at once an accessible primer on a key event in the 16th- and 17th-century Scientific Revolution, and a thought provoking look at how the subsequent controversies resonate down to the present day." — Aaron Weinacht, New Books Network

"Finocchiaro, already the author of [several] books about Galileo, details the way in which the scientist's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems led to his inquisition trial. The comprehensive account is full of information likely to be new to the reader." — Ralph Jones, New Humanist

"Authoritative ... [Finocchiaro] highlights open-mindedness, judiciousness and fair-mindedness, concluding that Galileo was a indeed a model of critical reasoning. These qualities also apply to the book as a whole, which can be highly recommended as a nuanced study of this famous episode." — David
Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer

"What I like about On Trial for Reason is that it very economically gives you a lot of basic things that you want to know about Galileo. What exactly is the nature of Galileo's scientific innovation? What has he done? What are the controversies? What are the problems of it from a scientific perspective, from a philosophical perspective, and then, of course, ultimately, from a religious perspective? He [Finocchiaro] also reads the trial like a forensic analyst." — Paula Findlen, FiveBooks

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