GALILEO’S USE OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
GALILEO’S USE OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE

Author(s): Epaminondas Vampoulis
Subject(s): History, History of ideas, 16th Century, 17th Century
Published by: Scientia Socialis, UAB
Keywords: Galileo’s Discorsi; rational thinking;
Summary/Abstract: In this paper a new look upon Galileo’s Discorsi is proposed, a look based on the use of practical knowledge made in this major work. It is interesting to note that Galileo places the three interlocutors of the dialogue in an arsenal, and that this place determines the subject of the conversations they will have, especially of their conversation on the problem of the resistance of matter to fracture. The study of this problem in the Discorsi is related to significant practical consequences as well as to the work which is done in the arsenal. According to Salviati and Sagredo who open the dialogue, one can acquire knowledge in the area of mechanics by making use of the knowledge accumulated by the artisans who work in the arsenal. To be more precise, the total amount of the observations one can acquire in the arsenal does not contain just those gathered by the artisans themselves, but consists of a larger group of observations some of which come from their predecessors. Having in their minds the total amount of these observations, some artisans of the arsenal are according to Salviati well equipped in order to develop their own thoughts by using their own reason.

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