The Honors College at FIU
John Bailly, Fellow
e: baillyj@fiu.edu
w: http://www.johnbailly.com/

THE TRIAL OF GALILEO: FILM PROJECT


Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury. Galileo before the Holy Office, 1847. Musee Luxembourg.

This project is designed to be in conjunction with the Reacting to the Past game Galileo and the New Cosmology by Marc C. Carnes, Michael S. Pettersen, and Frederick Purnell, Jr.

Reacting games are essentially games of persuasion. Students attempt to get other students to support their position on any given issue through debate, logic, deceit, compromise, and fictional force. All methods of persuasion are permitted in this project.

In our culture there is no greater tool of influence than the moving picture. It is no exaggeration to state that reality is constructed through advertising and film, rather than the latter documenting or reflecting the former.

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived, and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic." John Fitzgerald Kennedy

For this project you will create a propaganda film to advance your position. Members of each faction will take one particular issue as a subject for their piece. Conservatives may make a film proving that the Earth does not move or a film reinforcing the importance of the Council of Trent. Members of the Moderate faction may wish to explain the centrality of spiritual truths to any engagement in scientific research. The Linceans could assert that the traditional Ptolemaic-Aristotelian geocentric view is flawed and that Galileo’s theories are correct. Equally, the Linceans could also address the importance of science. Indeterminates may select any issue they wish, so long as their resulting propaganda remains true to character. A full list of topics is listed below.

"The goal of modern propaganda is no longer to transform opinion but to arouse an active and mythical belief." Jacques Ellul.

The aim of your film should be to explain and promote your position. Although the issues you are dealing with are situated in the context of 17th century Italy, you may use contemporary imagery and technology or even perform a skit in order to advance your position. You have full creative freedom, as long as you address an issue relevant to the Reacting game.

Please demonstrate a thorough understanding of the issues you address.

The format of this project must a time-based media: PowerPoint, iMovie, video, film or other mediums. You may appropriate existing images, but they must be altered in some manner. For example, you may edit the work heavily or distort it in some manner.

Students will work in groups of 3-5 students. Each student group will produce one video\slideshow for presentation to the combined sections. It must be 5 minutes or less.

You must provide a copy of your project on a cd or dvd to John Bailly and post it on YouTube. You must also provide two written descriptions. One must be an abstract that is no longer than 150 words. The other should be a more detailed explanation of the project. Both must be submitted in hardcopy and to http://www.turnitin.com/static/home.html.

Topics for Films

Conservative Faction Phase 1

Cardinal 1

A

Legal position: What is the nature of heresy? (Canon Law/Trent)

 

B

Legal position: What is the nature of heresy? (Canon Law/Trent)

 

C

Legal position: Is Copernicanism heretical? (Canon Law/Trent)

 

D

Legal position: Is Copernicanism heretical? (Canon Law/Trent)

Cardinal 2

A

Epistemology: What is the nature of knowledge (Aristotle)?

 

B

Epistemology: Is observation the surest means to ascertain knowledge?

 

C

Epistemology: How can we ensure the absence of errors in knowledge?

 

D

Epistemology: The limitations of the “new philosophy”?

Cardinal 3

 

Does the earth move? (stellar parallax) [or assign. for Phase 2]

Prof Theol

a

Outline of Aristotle/Critique of Galileo

 

b

Outline of Aristotle/Critique of Galileo

 

c

Outline of Aristotle/Critique of Galileo

Prof Phil

a

Does the Earth move?

 

b

Does the Earth move?

 

c

Does the Earth move?

     
Conservative Faction Phase 2

Cardinal 1

A

Spinning-Off Force argument

 

B

Spinning-Off Force argument

 

C

Spinning-Off Force argument

 

D

Spinning-Off Force argument

Cardinal 2

A

The supremacy of Aristotle’s method

 

B

The supremacy of Aristotle’s method

 

C

The failure of the inductive method (Duhem)

 

D

The failure of the inductive method (Duhem)

Cardinal 3

 

Proof that the universe is bounded [or assign. for Phase 2]

Prof Theol

a

Open

 

b

Open

 

c

Open

Prof Phil

a

Earth does NOT move

 

b

Earth does NOT move

 

c

Earth does NOT move
     
Lincean Faction Phase 1
     

Cardinal 1

A

Legal position: Defend as Scriptural Interpreter

 

B

Legal position: Defend as Scriptural Interpreter

 

C

Legal position: Defend as Scriptural Interpreter

Cardinal 2

A

Legal Position: Denunciation of Aristotlean cosmology

 

B

Legal Position: Denunciation of Aristotlean cosmology

 

C

Legal Position: Denunciation of Aristotlean cosmology

 

D

Legal Position: heavens not “eternal and unchanging”

Prince Cesi

 

Scientific observation demands care/ appearances can deceive

Prof Math

a

Outline of Galileo/Critique of Aristotle

 

b

Explication of Starry Messenger

 

c

Prove Earth moves

Noble

a

Punch&Judy play: follow blindly vs. observation

 

b

Superiority of scientific method over other systems of knowledge
     
Lincean Faction Phase 2

Cardinal 1

A

Open

 

B

Open

 

C

Open

Cardinal 2

A

Universe is finite

 

B

Universe is finite

 

C

Rebuttal of Conservative or Moderate argument

 

D

Rebuttal of Conservative or Moderate argument

Prince Cesi

 

Proof that the universe is bounded [or assign. for Phase 2]

Prof Math

a

Earth Moves

 

b

Earth moves

 

c

Rebut Rebuttal of Conservative or Moderate argument

Noble

a

Open

 

b

Open
     
Moderate Faction Phase1

Cardinal 1

A

Legal position : What is the nature of heresy to YOU?

 

B

Legal position: What is the nature of heresy to YOU?

 

C

Legal position: Is Copernicanism heretical?

 

D

Legal position: Can Galileo continue to publish?

 

E

Legal position: Is Galileo guilty of heresy (Galileo specific)

Cardinal 2

A

Relevance of Erasmus to Christian leaders (Addendum Mach ?)

 

B

Relevance of Machiavelli (Addendum Eras ?)

Prof Math

a

Compromise paper (neither Trent nor Gal ) Agree with faction

 

b

Compromise – agree with faction

 

c

Compromise – agree with faction

 

d

Compromise – agree with faction

Prof Phil

 

Does the Earth move?

     
Moderate Faction Phase 2

Cardinal 1

A

Open

 

B

Open

 

C

Open

 

D

Open

 

E

Open

Cardinal 2

A

Appeal to Cardinal (voteseeking)

 

B

Appeal to Cardinal (voteseeking)

Prof Math

a

Open

 

b

Open

 

c

Open

 

d

Open

Prof Phil

 

Publish agenda paper
     
Indeterminates Phase 1

Cardinal Bellarmine

 

The Challenges Confronting Catholicism

Cardinal O’Neill

 

On the Index of Forbidden Books

Cardinal Dalatier

 

Letters to student-players

Cardinal Luciano

 

Paper from Patron Perspective
     
Indeterminates Phase 2

Cardinal Bellarmine

 

Explanatory Essay

Cardinal O’Neill

 

Protestant Army Actions

Cardinal Dalatier

 

Letters to student-players

Cardinal Luciano

 

Open
     
Additional options for Indeterminates (or others)
The Implications of Heresy
The Importance of Acquaviva
The Influence of the Jesuits
The Influence of Spain in the Vatican

Explanation of the Necessity of Executing Bruno
The Importance of the Council of Trent
Elaboration on Decree 786 of the Council of Trent
Elaboration on Decree ? of the Council of Trent

The Need for Catholic Unwritten Traditions
 

 

Watch film projects made by students of The Honors College at FIU:
http://thc.fiu.edu/honorsweb/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=10008

The Honors College at FIU
John Bailly, Fellow
e: baillyj@fiu.edu
FIU University Park Campus, DM 233
11200 SW 8TH ST
Miami, FL 33199
t: 305-348-0297
f: 305-348-2118
w: http://www.johnbailly.com/

The Honors College at FIU          john bailly dot com