The Renaissance became one of the factors for the Scientific Revolution, bringing on the renewal of ancient times which led to the discovery of "ancient scientific texts (1)." This time period of the Renaissance also known as "the century of genius (1)" brought on a new view of nature bringing about ideas of great minds such as that of Galileo. He could be described as a Renaissance man, gifted in many areas as a talented musician, an artist, a cultivated humanist, an astronomer, and a physicist (1).
A substantial part of Galileo's work was related to mechanics, and he was the first to apply mathematics to its analysis; earning the status as the founder of modern mechanics and experimental physics (2). He also introduced the use of pendulums instead of clocks and proposed the law of uniform acceleration between falling objects. Finally, he developed the telescope with which he discovered the craters of the moon, sunspots, phases of Venus, and the satellites of Jupiter.
Galileo, like many other Renaissance Men, contributed many ideas and concepts to how we view and study the world today (2). But he differs in a way that despite conflictions with the churches' teachings he remained with his ideas. I chose him not only because of his great mind and thoughts, but also for his willingness to stand by what he believed in even if it meant going against the church. He not only stood by his theories, such as those of uniform acceleration, but he also showed justification for his thoughts. Like Copernicus and Kepler, "he believed that mathematics expressed the harmony and beauty of God's creation (1)." He didn't oppose the concept that God created the universe, but argued that God gave mankind senses and intellects to acquire knowledge. Through his theories and reasoning his intelligence was evident.
Galileo was appreciative of the Platonic tradition, which explored the mathematical theory of the...
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