Scenes VII - VIII Summary

Scene VII: The "Little Monk" from Scene V visits Galileo and informs him that he has given up his career as a physicist in light of Galileo's recent discoveries. Little Monk tells the story of his poor family in Campagna who grows olives. This hand-to-mouth existence is all they have known. Little Monk believes that his family continues to suffer and toil because they believe that God watches over them, has a plan for them, and promises to reward their suffering. Galileo's work threatens this very belief, and Little Monk believes that the comfort provided by God (or the belief of God) is worth more than discovering the physics of the universe.

Galileo responds that technology and knowledge could bring Little Monk's family and others like them to even greater heights of happiness and prosperity. He gives...