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How does Brecht present the conflict of Science and Religion in "Life of Galileo" ?

Bertolt Brecht's masterpiece, "Life of Galileo" cares more about our intellectual growth and curiosity than theatricality. Thus, Brecht's  classic, written in 1938, deals with the conflict of science and religion in a way that remains relevant and thought-provoking to this day.


Brecht, a Marxist playwright and director, was known for his "epic theater," a style that aimed to alienate the audience from the play's events and characters, so they would view them critically rather than emotionally. In "Life of Galileo," Brecht employs several techniques to achieve this, including the use of songs, projections, and breaking the fourth wall. Brecht's approach to storytelling, which he referred to as epic theater, aimed to challenge the illusion of traditional theater where spectators merely observe a slice of life. Instead, Brecht urged audiences to watch the events unfolding on stage objectively and form their own conclusions. To achieve this, Brecht employed various techniques to prevent viewers from becoming emotionally invested in the play and identifying with its characters. The most notable of these techniques was the Verfremdungseffekt, or alienation effect, which involved using unfamiliar settings, interrupting the action with songs, and displaying posters announcing the contents of each scene (especially for German audiences).

Brecht's decision to use the alienation effect was a bold and innovative approach, and it clearly paid off. By alienating the audience from the characters and the story, Brecht successfully forced them to think critically and draw their own conclusions. This technique also helped to prevent viewers from becoming too emotionally invested in the play and allowed them to analyze the events taking place on stage more objectively.

At the center of the play is Galileo Galilei, a renowned astronomer and physicist who challenged the Church's doctrine that the Earth was the center of the universe. Galileo's discoveries, which he made using the newly-invented telescope, threatened the Church's authority and led to his eventual condemnation by the Inquisition.

Brecht presents the conflict between science and religion as a clash between two worldviews: the empirical and the dogmatic. Galileo embodies the former, tirelessly pursuing his investigations and sharing his findings with anyone who will listen. The Church, on the other hand, represents the latter, clinging to its established beliefs and condemning anything that contradicts them.

One of the most striking scenes in the play is when Galileo confronts Cardinal Bellarmin, a high-ranking Church official, about the Church's opposition to his findings. Galileo- Bellarmin goes like, "BARBERINI He's really dreadful. In all innocence he accuses God of the juiciest
boners in astronomy! I suppose God didn't work hard enough at His
astronomy before He wrote Holy Scripture? My dear friend!
BELLARMINE Don't you think it likely that the Creator knows more about His
creation than any of His creatures?
GALILEO But, gentlemen, after all we can misinterpret not only the movements of
the heavenly bodies, but the Bible as well.
BELLARMINE But wouldn't you say that after all the interpretation of the Bible is
the business of the Holy Church? (Galileo is silent)
BELLARMINE You see, you don't answer. (He makes a sign to the secretaries) Mr.
Galilei, the Holy Office has decided tonight that the doctrine of
Copernicus, according to which the sun is the center of the cosmos and
motionless, whereas the earth moves and is not the center of the cosmos,
is inane, absurd, and heretical. I have been charged to admonish you to
relinquish this opinion." 
This lines encapsulates the Church's attitude towards science: that it (science) is irrelevant to matters of faith and salvation.

However, Brecht also shows that Galileo's pursuit of knowledge is not without moral consequences. His discoveries ultimately lead to the development of weapons of war, which he laments in a powerful soliloquy towards the end of the play:

"GALILEO: ..................What end are you scientists working for? To my mind, the only purpose of science is to lighten the toil of human existence. If scientists, browbeaten by selfish rulers, confine themselves to the accumulation of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, science will be crippled and your new machines will only mean new hardships. Given time, you may well discover everything there is to discover, but your progress
will be a progression away from humanity. The gulf between you and humanity may one day be so wide that the response to your exultation about some new achievement will be a universal outcry of horror.—As a scientist, I had a unique opportunity. In my time astronomy reached the market place. Under these very special circumstances, one man's steadfastness might have had tremendous repercussions. If I had held out, scientists might have developed something like the physicians' Hippocratic oath, the vow to use their knowledge only for the good of mankind. As things stand now, the best we can hope for is a generation of inventive dwarfs who can be hired for any purpose. Furthermore, I have come to the conclusion, Sarti, that I was never in any real danger. For a few years I was as strong as the authorities. And yet I handed the powerful my knowledge to use, or not to use, or to misuse as served their purposes."

 In this way, Brecht complicates the conflict between science and religion, showing that both have the potential to be used for good or evil.

"Life of Galileo" is a stunning and original work of art that raises timeless questions about the relationship between science, religion, and morality. Brecht's epic theater techniques and the play's textual references make it a critical masterpiece that continues to inspire and challenge audiences to this day. 

Ardhendu De 

References:

1. Life of Galileo - Wikipedia. (n.d.). Life of Galileo - Wikipedia. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Galileo

2. The Life of Galileo | play by Brecht. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Life-of-Galileo

3. Bertolt Brecht The Life Of Galileo : SANWAL : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from https://archive.org/details/bertolt-brecht-the-life-of-galileo

4. Manheirn. (n.d.). Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht (Sauerlander , Trans.).

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