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Galileo And Aristotle Research Paper

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Now that the definitions for reason have been established, we may turn to the matter of the limitations of the subject of theology itself. In comprehending abstract concepts such as ethics and theology, Aristotle points out a natural inability to fully comprehend the subject. In subjects with much “variety and fluctuation…we must be content…to indicate the truth roughly and in outline” (Aristotle I.3.1094b17, 19-20). As theology is both extremely variable in their application to human society depending on the circumstances (as Galileo points out in interpreting the Bible), we cannot fully pinpoint or understand every precise aspect of it. Rather, Aristotle argues that we should “look for precision in each of things just so far as the nature …show more content…
While Aquinas and Galileo approach reason as a method of understanding the truth of God, Aristotle views reason as a way of imitating God. Aquinas states that “there are some truths about God that exceed the capacity of human reason…there are also some truths that natural reason can attain” (Aquinas 1-3). To “attain” suggests a goal, and thus, the goal of human reason is to attain truth and gain knowledge about God. Similarly, for Galileo, reason “ought to be applied to find out the true senses of holy Scripture” and thus, is to gain insight into God’s words (Galileo 490). For both Aquinas and Galileo, then, reason is employed to understand God or theology. Aristotle differs. Aristotle asserts that “the activity of god, which surpasses all others in blessedness, must be contemplative” (X.8.1178b22-23). Furthermore, due to a likeness of humans to God, “that which is most akin to this must be most of the nature of happiness” (X.8.1178b23-24). As “happiness… is the end of action,” (I.7.1097b20-21), the end of human action and reasoning is the sharing in or imitation of God’s activity of

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