Defending Copernicus and Galileo: Critical Reasoning in the Two Affairs

Detailed Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: A Galilean Approach to the Galileo AffairPart I: Defending Copernicus1. The Geostatic Worldview2. The Copernican Controversy3. Galileo's Stances toward Copernican Astronomy4.Galilean Critiques of the Biblical Objection5. Galileo on the Mathematical Physics of Terrestrial Extrusion6. Galilean Rationality in the Copernican RevolutionPart II: Defending Galileo7. The Trial of Galileo, 1613-16338. The Galileo Affair, 1633-19929. Galileo Right for the Wrong Reasons?10. Galileo as a Bad Theologian?11. Galileo as a Bad Epistemologist?12. Galileo as a Symbol of Science vs. Religion?Selected Bibliography

From the reviews:"Defending Copernicus and Galileo is an important addition to Maurice Finocchiaro's significant corpus of writings, translations and edited works dealing with Galileo ... . the book is primarily about Galileo and his defense of Copernicus. ... this apparatus of fine distinctions serves not only as an expository device, but also an evaluative or advocacy purpose."­­­ (Peter Slezak, Science and Education, Vol. 20, 2011)"The book is aimed at presenting and defending a tentative interpretation and evaluation of the two Galileo affaires ... . Overall, the book is very well-written, very well-documented, and it consists of very lucid explanations of the many different positions, arguments and criticisms that can and have been put forward during the period of four hundred years in which the two Galileo affairs have developed so far. ... it is a true Fundgrube for further research on the subject ... ." (Jean H. M. Wagemans, Argumentation, Vol. 25, 2011)"The merit of this work is that it approaches the whole affair by attempting to offer a defense of Galileo by employing the same critical reasoning that Galileo himself used in defending Copernicus. ... it makes an important contribution to the very meaning of science by studying the origins of modern science in Galileo's research techniques. ... It will be very helpful to Galileo scholars." (George V. Coyne, The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 98 (2), April, 2012)