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Why does Galileo deserve a place in our syllabus next semester?

Galileo lived in a time of many great philosophers. His idea can be compared Newton’s and contrasted with Aristotle’s. He made major contributions that are built upon by other people such as Newton. His works were responsible for the birth of modern science. One can say Galileo revolutionized philosophy and inspired many other natural philosophers. He wrote articles/letters discussing philosophy topics like reasons, knowledge and essence of the universe. In my opinion, he represent an important transition of philosophy, from relying on mostly reasoning in one’s mind to seeking evidence from outer world. His method of scientific observation is important in Galileo’s process of proving his ideas. Although he is most known as a scientist, we cannot say Galileo’s scientific method does not reflect his philosophical ideas: he incorporated epistemology and methodology into his scientific practice. He believed in using mathematics to find the reality of the world.