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Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei Quotes

Physicist

Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher, is considered the father of modern science. He was born on February 15, 1564, and died on January 8, 1642. Galileo made significant contributions to the fields of physics, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. He discovered the four moons of Jupiter through his telescope, supporting Copernicus' heliocentric model, and proposed the law of free fall and other scientific theories.

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Famous Galileo Galilei Quotes

“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.”

“And believe me, if I were again beginning my studies, I should follow the advice of Plato and start with the mathematical sciences, which proceed very cautiously and admit nothing as established until it has been rigorously demonstrated.”

Ifs Education Study Advice Mathematics Math Sensual Mathematical Plato Studying Mathematics Spiritual Advice

Author:Galileo Galilei

“[Copernicus] did not ignore the Bible, but he knew very well that if his doctrine were proved, then it could not contradict the Scriptures when they were rightly understood.”

Ifs Wells Understood Scripture Doctrine Copernicus

Author:Galileo Galilei

“To excite in us tastes, odors, and sounds I believe that nothing is required in external bodies except shapes, numbers, and slow or rapid movements. ... if ears, tongues, and noses were removed, shapes and numbers and motions would remain, but not odors or tastes or sounds.”

Ifs Believe Body I Believe Sound Numbers Movement Taste Shapes Ears Tongue Noses Rapids Odor

Author:Galileo Galilei

“The number of people that can reason well is much smaller than those that can reason badly. If reasoning were like hauling rocks, then several reasoners might be better than one. But reasoning isn't like hauling rocks, it's like, it's like racing, where a single, galloping Barbary steed easily outruns a hundred wagon-pulling horses.”

People Ifs Wells Reason Might Numbers Rocks Hundred Horse Reasoning Racing Pulling Wagons Outrun Galloping

Author:Galileo Galilei

“In regard to the philosophers, if they be true philosophers, i.e., lovers of truth, they should not be irritated that the earth moves. Rather, if they realize that they have held a false belief, they should thank those have shown them the truth; and if their opinion stands firm that the earth doesn't move, they will have reason to boast than be angered.”

Ifs Should Reason Earth Moving Belief Realizing Opinion Lovers Regard Philosopher Being True Firm Boast Irritated Stand Firm

Author:Galileo Galilei

“The theologians also should not be irritated. For if they find that this opinion is false, then they would be free to condemn it; and if they discover that it is true, they ought to thank those who have opened the way to finding the true sense of the Scriptures and who have prevented them from falling into the grave scandal of condemning a true proposition.”

Ifs Way Should Would Be Fall Opinion Ought Findings Scripture Graves Propositions Theologian Scandal Irritated Condemning

Author:Galileo Galilei

“If experiments are performed thousands of times at all seasons and in every place without once producing the effects mentioned by your philosophers, poets, and historians, this will mean nothing and we must believe their words rather than our own eyes?”

Ifs Believe Mean Eye Effects Poet Seasons Philosopher Experiments Historian

Author:Galileo Galilei

“If there were as great a scarcity of soil as of jewels or precious metals, there would not be a prince who would not spend a bushel of diamonds and rubies and a cartload of gold just to have enough earth to plant a jasmine in a little pot, or to sow an orange seed and watch it sprout, grow, and produce its handsome leaves, its fragrant flowers, and fine fruit.”

Source: Thus Spoke Galileo: The Great Scientist's Ideas and Their Relevance to the Present Day

“Philosophy [nature] is written in that great book which ever is before our eyes -- I mean the universe -- but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols in which it is written. The book is written in mathematical language, and the symbols are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without whose help it is impossible to comprehend a single word of it; without which one wanders in vain through a dark labyrinth.”

“Philosophy is written in that great book which ever lies before our eyes — I mean the universe — but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols, in which it is written.”

Ifs Firsts Mean Book Philosophy Eye Lying Universe Language Written Symbols Great Book Triangles

Author:Galileo Galilei

“Their vain presumption of knowing all can take beginning solely from their never having known anything; for if one has but once experienced the perfect knowledge of one thing, and truly tasted what it is to know, he shall perceive that of infinite other conclusions he understands not so much as one.”

Ifs Knows Science Perfect Known Knowledge Knowing One Thing Infinite Conclusion Vain Perceive Presumption

Author:Galileo Galilei

“If you could see the earth illuminated when you were in a place as dark as night, it would look to you more splendid than the moon.”

Ifs Looks Earth Night Nature Dark Space Moon Splendid

Book:Thus Spoke Galileo: The Great Scientist's Ideas and Their Relevance to the Present Day

Source: Thus Spoke Galileo: The Great Scientist's Ideas and Their Relevance to the Present Day

“It seems to me that it was well said by Madama Serenissima, and insisted on by your reverence, that the Holy Scripture cannot err, and that the decrees therein contained are absolutely true and inviolable. But I should have in your place added that, though Scripture cannot err, its expounders and interpreters are liable to err in many ways; and one error in particular would be most grave and most frequent, if we always stopped short at the literal signification of the words.”

Ifs Way Should Wells Said Seems Would Be Particular Holy Should Have Errors Scripture Graves Reverence Literal Liable Decree Holy Scriptures Interpreter Well Said

Author:Galileo Galilei

“Philosophy itself cannot but benefit from our disputes, for if our conceptions prove true, new achievements will be made; if false, their refutation will further confirm the original doctrines.”

Ifs Thinking Made Philosophy Prove Achievement Benefits Originals Doctrine Conception Disputes Refutation

Author:Galileo Galilei

“That sculpture is more admirable than painting for the reason that it contains relief and painting does not is completely false. ... Rather, how much more admirable the painting must be considered, if having no relief at all, it appears to have as much as sculpture!”

Ifs Doe Reason Painting Relief Sculpture Admirable

Author:Galileo Galilei

“Oh, my dear Kepler, how I wish that we could have one hearty laugh together. Here, at Padua, is the principal professor of philosophy, whom I have repeatedly and urgently requested to look at the moon and planets through my glass, [telescope] which he pertinaciously refuses to do. Why are you not here? what shouts of laughter we should have at this glorious folly! and to hear the professor of philosophy at Pisa laboring before the grand duke with logical arguments, as if with magical incantations, to charm the new planets out of the sky.”

“Showing a greater fondness for their own opinions than for truth, they sought to deny and disprove the new things which, if they had cared to look for themselves, their own senses would have demonstrated to them.”

Ifs Looks Opinion Greater Cold Deny Senses New Things Fondness

Author:Galileo Galilei

“It reveals to me the causes of many natural phenomena that are entirely incomprehensible in the light of the generally accepted hypotheses. To refute the latter I collected many proofs, but I do not publish them ... I would dare to publish my speculations if there were people men like you.”

People Ifs Men Light Science Causes Natural Like You Dare Proof Accepted Latter Hypothesis Speculation Publish Natural Phenomena

Author:Galileo Galilei