Book Description

Galileo's pioneering use of the telescope showed that the earth is not at the center of the universe and led to his trial and conviction by the Inquisition. This first clash between science and religion still bedevils us today in many ways. Galileo, however, made an even greater contribution to history when, in destroying medieval science and discovering the laws of motion, he established the procedure of modern science. As a direct result of his work, Revelation and Scripture as sources of truth are replaced by Experimentation and Measurement, while Tradition and Authority as interpreters of truth are replaced by Individualism and Egalitarianism. This tremendous alteration in the scientific process eventually swept through all non-scientific disciplines and created the modern world. A good case can therefore be made that Galileo is the most influential person in history. Even if one does not agree with the conclusion, tracing this dramatic change is one of the most exciting of intellectual adventures. Interesting Argues well .Insightful and well written Recommended. --Choice (March 2006): 1246 However controversial, Manfred Weidhorn's supporting thesis dovetails with a fruitful trend of extending the controversy on science and religion, centered on Galileo, in a direction accounting for its impact on civilization, not just for Galileo's troubles with theologians and philosophers. The Person of the Millennium insightfully identifies a paradigm shift of history with the Galilean revolution. .Generally meritorious work .Thought-provoking and worthwhile reading. --Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 59.2 (June 2007): 155 This is a very sweeping thesis involving grand theorizing in the style of the old philosophy of history. However, Weidhorn's argument is nuanced and sophisticated Whether or not one values this type of grand theorizing and whether or not one completely accepts the thesis, Weidhorn has constructed a supporting argument that is eloquent, intelligent, cogent, and sometimes original, and has written a well-argued, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book. --Maurice A. Finocchiaro [Galileo scholar], The Historian 69.3 (Fall 2007): 602