Galileo and Censorship
Galileo and Censorship
Should the Catholic Church have censored materials concerning the heliocentric heavens in the 16th century? If so, what did they hope to gain (not whether they did gain that, because the answer to that question is outside your knowledge)? On the other hand should Galileo have published the Two Chief World Systems against the dictate of the church? You must choose either to argue in favor of the Church’s censorship in the interest of maintaining authority and social stability or to support Galileo’s effort to publish against the Church’s wishes. Do not be wishy washy and say “on the one hand… and on the other hand.” Take a strong position.
Essays should explore the complex arrangements of values and social norms that are either supported or threatened by the act of making new knowledge public and how communities make decisions about whether the potential social benefits of censorship override the benefits of expanding knowledge.
Your essay should be about 750 words and must have a thesis (e.g., The Catholic Church should have or was justified in censoring materials, BECAUSE…). Then the body paragraphs provide three discrete reasons why such a policy or GG’s actions were justified.
Please do not use external sources other than those provided on blackboard. There are two articles posted on Blackboard—one directly explains the issue of censorship, while the other focuses on the background of Galileo’s trial. Please read them before constructing your argument. If you cite either article, do it like this (Galileo Affair, page #) or (Copernicanism, page #) because both are by the same author.
