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[...] The triumph of scientific spirit The pursuit of truth by the scientists of this era is similar to that of Copernic and Galileo: Sown with obstacles, particularly due to religious criticism, but necessary and a source of new knowledge and technologies. Despite this, their success among the people gave them reason and allowed their knowledge to spread, to the point that religion and monarchy gradually lost their power. Their discoveries bear their name, a tribute from scientists and the people to the discoveries they were able to bring to humanity. [...]
[...] These characteristics are sufficient to show that Copernic and Galileo can be considered as the precursors of the thinkers of the Enlightenment. Years later, we still study the history of Copernic and Galileo as a scientific but above all historical lesson: It took for certain people to stand up against the power in place, expressing their knowledge despite the criticism, for our civilizations to progress scientifically and morally. We might wonder if there are, today, currents of thought similar to those of the Enlightenment. [...]
[...] In addition, he corrected the statements of the Copernicans by asserting that not all stars were revolving around the Sun (he was referring to what we now call the 'Galilean moons', the satellites of Jupiter). 2. Against positions contrary to religious beliefs These two scientists were both exposed to criticism from religion: In fact, at their time, the main belief about the state of the planetary system was geocentrism. By admitting that the Sun was at the center of the system and that the Earth turned on itself, these scientists shook the beliefs of their time and told a story of the Universe that no longer put Man at the center of everything, but as a part of a whole that dominated it. [...]
[...] This opposition to the old beliefs, progressing in science, was a first step for the development of the ideology of the Enlightenment, emerging 100 years after Galileo. II. The outline of the Enlightenment thought 1. Definition of the Enlightenment current The Enlightenment century, consisting of philosophical, literary, and cultural movements, aimed to get rid of obscurantism by spreading scientific knowledge among the people. This current also wanted to detach itself from religion and the centralization of power in one person, preferring enlightened thinking and a more distributed power. [...]
[...] Document Analysis Nicolas Copernicus was born in 1472, while Galileo was born in 1564, at the dawn of the Enlightenment era. Their scientific spirit was widely appreciated and recognized by their peers during their lifetime. However, their reputation largely depended on the progress they made in astronomy: Copernicus claimed, against all odds, that the Earth turned around the Sun. Galileo, on the other hand, improved the astronomical telescope, allowing for celestial activity to be observed with unprecedented precision for the time. [...]
