Comment by ajkjk
3 days ago
> Then I can’t help but think: if the author of the article didn’t even understand this, how can the rest of the article be correct if it started from a biased and almost false premise?
That seems pretty unfair. The article is clearly structured to treat the Galileo thing as an example, not a premise. It is supposed to be a familiar case to consider before going into unfamiliar ones. In that sense it clearly still works as an example even if it's false: does it not set you up to think about the general problem, even if it's a fictional anecdote? It's no different than using some observation about Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter as an example before setting into a point. The fact that it's fictional doesn't affect its illustrative merits.
> The fact that it's fictional doesn't affect its illustrative merits.
Indeed, it may even reinforce the overall argument being made in the post we're discussing; the "Galileo vs. Catholicism" narrative is itself a linchpin trope in an empirical scientific worldview, with the trope reinforcing (among other beliefs) that "it's right and proper to pursue and advocate for objective truth even to the extent of making enemies of the most powerful."
Considering the likely audience for a piece like this post we're discussing, that the Galileo narrative doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened historically makes it a pretty good example on a meta-level. Are any of us who have the belief in the ultimate value of objectivity going to give up on it because a potentially weak example was used to support it?
Indeed, thanks for pointing out. I tried to edit my comment, but it's not possible anymore.