ABSTRACT
Although the 1633 condemnation of Galileo and prohibition of the Dialogue ended the original affair, it also started a new controversy continuing to our own day—about the facts, causes, issues, and implications of the original episode. This subsequent controversy partly reflects the original issues, such as the reality of the earth's motion and the astronomical authority of Scripture. But it has also acquired a life of its own, with debates over whether Galileo's condemnation was right; why he was condemned; whether science and religion are incompatible; whether individual freedom and institutional authority must always clash; etc. The original affair is the aspect of the Copernican revolution consisting of Galileo's contributions to it. The subsequent affair is much more complex because of the longer historical span, the broader interdisciplinary relevance, the greater international and multi-linguistic involvement, and the ongoing cultural import. Simplifying, that historical aftermath may be highlighted as follows (for details, see Finocchiaro 2005b, 2010b: 155–228).
