Making sense of Day 1 of the Two New Sciences: Galileo’s Aristotelian-inspired agenda and his Jesuit readers

This study proposes an explanation for the choice of topics Galileo addressed in Day 1 of his 1638 Two New Sciences, a section of the work which has long puzzled historians of science. I argue that Galileo’s agenda in Day 1, that is the topics he discusses and the questions he poses, was shaped by c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in history and philosophy of science. Part A 2011-12, Vol.42 (4), p.479-491
Main Author: Raphael, Renée Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ancient Greek Philosophy
Aristotle
Aristotle (384-322 BC)
Choices
Galilei, Galileo
Galileo
Galileo Galilei
Historians
History of philosophy
History of science
Jesuits
Natural philosophy
Philosophers
Philosophical thought
Philosophy
Philosophy of science
Physics
Scientific progress
Scientific thought
Teaching
Two New Sciences
University of Pisa
University professors
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Summary:This study proposes an explanation for the choice of topics Galileo addressed in Day 1 of his 1638 Two New Sciences, a section of the work which has long puzzled historians of science. I argue that Galileo’s agenda in Day 1, that is the topics he discusses and the questions he poses, was shaped by contemporary teaching commentaries on Books 3 through 8 of Aristotle’s Physics. Building on the insights and approach of theorists of reader reception, I confirm this interpretation by examining the response of professors of natural philosophy at the Jesuit Collegio Romano to Galileo’s text.
ISSN:0039-3681
1879-2510
DOI:10.1016/j.shpsa.2011.09.010