Why Was Galileo An Outsider?

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By dictionary definition, an outsider is, “A person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc. ” Reading about Galileo and the life he lead, it is safe to consider him an outsider. He was known for being different and formatting his own opinions and beliefs, even when they went against the norm. Galileo not only went against the doctrines of Aristotle and many other scientists, but against the Catholic Church and its ideologies. His, what were thought to be heretic views, resulted in him getting punished by means of house arrest. All these events show Galileo to be “A person unconnected or unacquainted ” with society, or simply, an outsider. When making his own scientific discoveries, Galileo often found evidence contradicting popular …show more content…
The Aristotelian point of view was supported by the Church. Thus, going against Aristotle and the Ptolemaic system meant going against the Church, which could’ve resulted in torture, imprisonment, or execution. Galileo was not daunted however, and continued to study and believe in the Copernicus system. Outwardly straying from society’s views and the Church’s philosophes made Galileo an outsider if nothing else. He was warned by the Church to not discuss or study the Copernicus system. Eventually, he was allowed to study it as long as his theories remained only hypothesizes but Galileo continued his work on the matter, writing the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems. Instead of following the lead of society and doing as he was told, Galileo went on, by himself, and further educated on the Copernicus system. He didn’t heed the warning of even his friends because his ideas were ones he stood for and supported. He made himself an outsider by not, “Belonging to a particular group”, in this case group being society. Finally, the fact that Galileo was placed under house arrest makes him an outsider. As a result of him going against the Church, Galileo was banished to his home in Florence and forced to stay there forever. Hence, Galileo literally became an outsider. He wasn’t allowed go to out and participate with society because of his beliefs. In other words, his

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