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Firstly, Galileo is described as a cynical opportunist. This claim implies that
Galileos intentions in his work were purely of self-interest and that he exploited
circumstances to gain personal advantage. I disagree with this claim as it is only
partly justified in the sense that Galileo was able to make full use of any
opportunities that came his way. He was able to make use of his connections to
make his work more well-known and widespread. For example, he used Barberinis
position as Pope Urban VII, by using their friendship to gain acceptance for his book
A Dialogue between Two Great World Systems, which was a success
internationally. Without his connection with the Pope, however, he would not have
been able to publish it due to its controversial topics. Thus, Galileo was resourceful
and astute in turning opportunities to the advantage of his work. Galileo was also an
opportunist because he transformed the debate about Copernicanism from a theory
about astronomy into a larger debate about the role of natural philosophy and the
church in revealing the true nature of the world. He was took advantage of this to
express his views that he thought that there should be a more equal partnership with
the church and science in finding and proving the truth. Hence, he can be considered
an opportunist.
Still, Galileo did not act out of self-interest. His intentions were never for glory
or to undermine the authority of the church. His intentions, instead was to build a
more equal partnership between science and the church in finding and proving the
truth about the natural world. Hence, Galileo cannot be described as a cynical
opportunist because although he was opportunistic, his intentions were not out of
self-interest.
Also, Galileo is given the label of a modern Socrates. Socrates was a Greek
philosopher with controversial views, which were faced with much opposition, and he
was banned and finally sentenced to death. Hence, this claim implies that like
Socrates, Galileo suffered opposition and persecution as a result of his views and
opinions. During the 16th and 17th century, the Catholic religion played a dominant
role in society. Galileos belief and goal of trying to prove the Copernican heliocentric
system threatened to demolish the foundations of a philosophy and science upon
which the church had rested securely on for several years. As the church had

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already been faced with the threat of the Protestant Reformation, they were
constantly on guard against heresy. Galileos theories challenged the structures and
established truths that were taught by the church. With the struggle against
Protestantism still flaring, the church could not risk the consequences of reappraisal
of the Catholic world-view, which would further undermine their authority and power.
Hence, Galileo faced much opposition from the church. In 1633, he was sentenced
by the Inquisition to imprisonment, commuted to house arrest, for vehement
suspicion of heresy. Hence, Galileo can be said to have been a modern Socrates in
the sense that like Socrates, he faced opposition and persecution as a result of his
views and opinions.
Galileo was also described as a lucky engineer. These claims are mainly
based on whether the circumstances he was in were conducive for his work. As
Galileo was born into a time of largely religious dominance, where his findings and
scientific work were faced with a lot of opposition, I believe that Galileo cannot be
considered lucky, although he was lucky to have been in a position where he was
able to research and publish his findings, and also in having friendships with people
in the church, his historical context of a time when science was not readily and
widely accepted.
Galileo is also given the label of a patient genius. The claim implies that
Galileos work was very meticulous and was smart in the finding and dissemination
of his work. I fully agree with this claim, as Galileo was indeed very meticulous in
finding and proving his theories. He spent a lot of time observing and recording his
findings so as to provide sufficient evidence for his work. Instead of merely
publishing his findings, he also wrote letters, which were published, in response to
those who opposed him. These were skillfully written with his background in
convincing the readers of his viewpoint. Thus, he was patient in finding and smart
spreading his knowledge, making him a patient genius.

Finally, Galileo is said to have died a coward. Presumably, the assumptions

supporting this claim are based on Galileo choosing to recant his theories so as to

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receive a lighter sentence of house arrest for his charges of heresy. This claim is
immensely judgmental, as the consequences of Galileos refusal to recant his
theories would have been great, resulting in excommunication and torture by the
church. Hence, Galileos decision was instead out of rationality in understanding that
standing by his theories would not be able to change the Churchs beliefs, not
cowardice. Furthermore, through this decision, he was able to continue his work
under house arrest.

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Bibliography
(2014) School Notes: RGS, pp 7-10
(1988) Galileo: Google News