Galileo's Science

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is probably the most important individual for the birth of Science. He was born in a time when Aristotle's natural philosophy was dominant in the study of nature. Until then it was known as the only and best way to know the nature. A basic understanding of Aristotle's natural philosophy will help understanding Galileo's circumstance.

Cover of Galileo's Science

“	But before mankind could be ripe for a science which takes in the whole of reality, a second fundamental truth was needed, which only became common property among philosophers with the advent of Kepler and Galileo. Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge of the empirical world; all knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it. Propositions arrived at by purely logical means are completely empty as regards reality. Because Galileo saw this, and particularly because he drummed it into the scientific world, he is the father of modern physics—indeed, of modern science altogether.	”
—Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions

This book is intended to discuss his life-long effort to refute natural philosophy and found a new basis for Science. It will be discussed through his important discoveries and quotations. The book is divided into the following chapters:

Aristotle's Natural Philosophy Physics Mechanics Mathematics Astronomy Technology

References

1. Drake, Stillman (2001). Galileo: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

Links

• Discussion on Metaphysics of Galileo Galilei & the Orbital Motion of the Earth about the Sun at Space and Motion.com
• Galileo Gailei`s Notes on Motion at Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence
• Project Galileo at Rice University
• Galileo at Wikipedia
• Galileo at Wikisource