The Cambridge Companion to Galileo

This collection of essays is unparalleled in the depth of its coverage of all facets of Galileo's work.

Not only a hero of the scientific revolution, but after his conflict with the church, a hero of science, Galileo is today rivalled in the popular imagination only by Newton and Einstein. But what did Galileo actually do, and what are the sources of the popular image we have of him? This 1998 collection of specially-commissioned essays is unparalleled in the depth of its coverage of all facets of Galileo's work. A particular feature of the volume is the treatment of Galileo's relationship with the church. It will be of interest to philosophers, historians of science, cultural historians and those in religious studies.

Introduction Peter Machamer; 1. Galileo's Pisan studies in science and philosophy William Wallace; 2. Galileo's machines, his mathematics and his experiments Peter Machamer; 3. The use and abuse of mathematical entities: Galileo and the Jesuits revisited Rivka Feldhay; 4. Inertial problems in Galileo's pre-inertial framework Wallace Hooper; 5. From Galileo to Augustine Pietro Redondi; 6. Galileo's Copernicanism: the science and the rhetoric William Shea; 7. Galileo's contribution to astronomy and conflicts with the church Noel Swerdlow; 8. Galileo on science and scripture Ernan McMullin; 9. Could there be another Galileo case? Richard Blackwell; 10. The God of theologians and the God of astronomers: an apology of Bellarmine Marcello Pera; 11. The never ending Galileo story Michael Segre; 12. The sepulchers of Galileo: the 'Living' remains of a hero of science Paolo Galluzzi.

This collection of essays is unparalleled in the depth of its coverage of all facets of Galileo's work.