Blind Acceptance

In the Dialogue Galileo is trying to prove that people accept what has been told to them without asking for any proof, which leads to incorrect conclusions. When Sagredo uses his example of the philosopher and the nerves, the philosopher replies with “’You have made me see this matter so plainly and palpably that if Aristotle’s text were not contrary to it …I should be forced to admit it to be true.’” (2). This quote is the pivotal point in what Galileo is trying to do. He gets Simplicio to admit that he has never actually tested any of the theories, but goes believes them solely because he has been told they are true. Salviati says “You yourself are sufficient evidence that that these authorities have offered it without having preformed it, for you take it as certain without having done it, and commit yourself to the good faith of their dictum. Similarly it not only may be, but must be that they did the same thing too – I mean, put faith in their predecessors, right on back without ever arriving at anyone who had preformed it.” (11). With this Galileo is effectively proving that everyone accepts what has been told to them, and do not bother to check for themselves to see if there is any truth to the so-called facts. Galileo wants people to question what has been told to them, to try and find out for themselves if there is truth to the what is commonly accepted as such, and to look for a better explanation if there is one. Galileo wants people to think for themselves, and be open to new ideas if they are supported by fact, such as the Copernican theory. Galileo is proving the Copernican theory is correct by showing that people blindly accept what has been told to them, when they should be questioning to see if it is truth.