“Bellamarin: We have shifted the responsibility for such occurrences as we cannot understand–life is made up of them–to a higher Being...the whole thing is taking place according to a great plan...but now you come along and accuse this higher Being of not being quite clear and how the stars move, whereas you yourself are. Is that sensible?” (Brecht 56).
The cardinal Bellamarin tries to persuade Galileo to abandon his theory before it causes more of an upheaval than it already has. He tries to point out the major faults of Galileo’s theory, not focusing so much on his theoretical reasonings, but more on the faults of his reasoning for presenting a novel view to the public. He would rather have Galileo present his theory as a hypothesis rather than a theory with great evidence. The cardinal’s attempt to halt Galileo’s presentation to The Church is out of good nature since he does encourage him to continue his research under wraps. By highlighting the sense of order a higher being has on people and how this helps them cope through life, he tries to get Galileo to look at his work from a different perspective. The people don’t want change, or a change as radical as this. A view that undermines The Church and the bible would destroy the perceptions society has on God and his power. Galileo advocates for the reasoning of man while considering himself as a faithful son of the Church. He is just interpreting the Bible’s words in a different way that contradicts what theologists have been saying for years. This scene shows the struggle of science and religion, along with the parts that don’t directly align. It’s vital that Galileo understands the outrage that will occur if he continues to present his theory to the public and the Church. With this understanding and the guidance of the cardinals, he now has a better insight into what his findings may evoke, and that even other scientists may resist his findings.
No comments:
Post a Comment