Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Banned books: Gallileo's book was banned


I can't help but think about the original banned book. When Johannes Gutenberg perfected movable type in the 1400s the powers that be got restless. It wasn't going to be as easy to keep the unwashed masses ignorant for much longer, because movable type meant plentiful books. Plentiful books meant the spread of knowledge, and worse yet, new ideas. Nearly two centuries later Gallileo wanted to let everyone know the earth was not flat, but indeed round, certain entities (psst: it was the Spanish Inquisition) arrested him to stop his heretic claim. Too late! The knowledge spread throughout Europe and beyond, because of the written word. Poor Gallileo had to suffer for his banned book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, under house arrest until he died.

And so began the modern age.

Lisa

1 comment:

Lotheus said...

Heh! Gallileo died while on house arrest. Probably had to pay those high pre-trail supervision fees too. Wonder if he ever failed a UA?