PHILOSOPHY 360
The following is a pdf link that contain excerpts
from
Day Two of Galileo's
Dialogue Concerning Two Chief World Systems
(1630).
The topic is the motion of the earth, and the famous
"tower argument". Read from page 71
"SAGR." to page 81, stopping at "DISCOURSES".
The book contrasts the Copernican system, in which the Earth
and other planets orbit the Sun, with the traditional Ptolemaic system,
in which everything circles around the Earth. It is presented as a
conversation, over a span of four days, among three characters:
• Salviati
is the scientist who argues for the Copernican position and presents
some of Galileo's views directly, calling him the "Academician" in
honor of Galileo's membership in the Accademia dei Lincei. He is named
after Galileo's friend Filipo Salviati (1582 - 1614).
• Sagredo
is the intelligent and fair-minded layman who is initially neutral. He
is named after Galileo's friend Giovanfrancesco Sagredo (1571 - 1620).
• Simplicio
is a follower of Ptolemy and Aristotle, who presents the traditional
views and the arguments against the Copernican position. He is modeled
after Ludovico delle Colombe (1565 - 1616?) and Cesare Cremonini (1550
- 1631), both of whom were conservative philosophers. The character's
name is not "Simpleton", but is taken from the sixth-century
philosopher Simplicius, who wrote commentaries on Aristotle.
