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Who are the three speakers in Galileo Galileiās Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems?
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Galileo
Galileo, oil painting by Justus Sustermans, c. 1637, in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
In his work Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic & Copernican, Galileo Galilei utilizes three characters to debate the merits of the geocentric and heliocentric models of the universe:12
- Salviati: A character representing Galileo himself, who serves as the proponent of the Copernican theory.2
- Sagredo: An intelligent layman who acts as an intermediary, guiding the discussion and observing the arguments.12
- Simplicio: A dyed-in-the-wool Aristotelian who defends the traditional Ptolemaic view.2