There are several points of view about why Giordano Bruno was burned. In the mass consciousness, the image of a man executed for upholding his heliocentric theory was entrenched in him. However, if you take a closer look at the biography and works of this thinker, you can see that his conflict with the Catholic Church was more religious than scientific.
Thinker biography
Before you figure out why Giordano Bruno was burned, you should consider his life path. The future philosopher was born in 1548 in Italy near Naples. In this city, the young man became a monk of the local monastery of St. Dominic. All his life, his religious pursuits went along with scientific ones. Over time, Bruno became one of the most educated people of his time. As a child, he began to study logic, literature and dialectics.
At 24, a young Dominican became a priest. However, the life of Giordano Bruno was not long connected with the service in the church. Once he was convicted of reading forbidden monastic literature. Then the Dominican fled first to Rome, then to the north of Italy, and then completely outside the country. A short study at the University of Geneva followed, but even there Bruno was expelled on charges of heresy. The thinker had an inquiring mind. In his public speeches on debates, he often went beyond the framework of Christian teaching, disagreeing with generally accepted dogmas.
Scientific activity
In 1580, Bruno moved to France. He taught at the country's largest university - the Sorbonne. The first published works of Giordano Bruno appeared there. The thinker's books were devoted to mnemonics - the art of memorization. The philosopher was noticed by the French king Henry III. He patronized the Italian, inviting him to the courtyard and providing all the necessary conditions for work.
It was Henry who contributed to Bruno’s placement at the University of England at Oxford, where he moved at the age of 35. In London in 1584, the thinker published one of his most important books, On Infinity, the Universe, and the Worlds. The scientist has long researched astronomy and space structure issues. The endless worlds, which he spoke of in his book, completely contradicted the then generally accepted worldview.
The Italian was a supporter of the theory of Nicholas Copernicus - this is another “point” for which they burned Giordano Bruno. Its essence (heliocentrism) was that the Sun is in the center of the planetary system, and the planets revolve around it. The church point of view on this issue was the exact opposite. Catholics believed that the Earth is in the center, and all bodies, together with the Sun, move around it (this is geocentrism). Bruno propagated the ideas of Copernicus in London, including at the royal court of Elizabeth I. The Italian did not find supporters. Even the writer Shakespeare and the philosopher Bacon did not support his views.
Return to Italy
After England, Bruno traveled for several years in Europe (mainly in Germany). With a permanent job, he was tight, because universities were often afraid to accept the Italian because of the radical nature of his ideas. A wanderer tried to settle in the Czech Republic. But in Prague they were not welcome. Finally, in 1591, the thinker decided on a bold act. He returned to Italy, or rather to Venice, where he was invited by the aristocrat Giovanni Mocenigo. The young man began to generously pay Bruno for lessons in mnemonics.
However, the relationship between the employer and the thinker soon deteriorated. In personal conversations, Bruno convinced Mocenigo that there are infinite worlds, the Sun is in the center of the world, etc. But the philosopher made an even bigger mistake when he began to discuss religion with the aristocrat. From these conversations one can understand why Giordano Bruno was burned.
The accusation of Bruno
In 1592, Mocenigo sent several denunciations to the Venetian inquisitors, in which he described the bold ideas of a former Dominican. Giovanni Bruno complained that Jesus was a magician and tried to avoid his death, but did not accept her as a martyr, as the Gospel says. Moreover, the thinker spoke of the impossibility of retribution for sins, the reincarnation and depravity of Italian monks. Denying the basic Christian dogmas of the divinity of Christ, the Immaculate Conception, the Trinity, etc., he inevitably became the archenemy of the church.
In conversations with Mocenigo, Bruno mentioned the desire to create his own philosophical and religious doctrine, "New Philosophy." The volume of heretical theses expressed by the Italian was so great that the inquisitors immediately began to investigate. Bruno was arrested. He spent more than seven years in prison and interrogation. Due to the impenetrability of the heretic, he was transported to Rome. But there he remained unshakable. On February 17, 1600, he was burned at the stake on the Square of Flowers in Rome. The thinker did not give up his own views. Moreover, he stated that to burn him does not mean to refute his theory. Today, at the place of execution is a monument to Bruno, erected there at the end of the XIX century.
Learning Basics
The versatile teachings of Giordano Bruno affected both science and faith. When the thinker returned to Italy, he already saw himself as a preacher of a reformed religion. It should have been based on scientific knowledge. This combination explains the presence in Bruno’s writings of both logical reasoning and references to mysticism.
Of course, the philosopher did not formulate his theories from scratch. The ideas of Giordano Bruno were largely based on the works of his many predecessors, including those who lived in the ancient era. An important foundation for the Dominican was radical Neoplatonism. This ancient philosophical school taught the mystical and intuitive way of knowing the world, logic, etc. The Thinker adopted from her ideas about the world soul, driving the entire Universe, and the unified principle of existence.
Bruno also relied on Pythagoreanism. This philosophical and religious teaching was based on the concept of the universe as a harmonic system subordinate to numerical laws. His followers greatly influenced Kabbalah and other mystical traditions.
Relation to religion
It is important to note that the anti-church views of Giordano Bruno did not at all mean that he was an atheist. On the contrary, the Italian remained a believer, although his idea of God was very different from Catholic dogmas. So, for example, before the execution, Bruno, already ready to die, said that he would go straight to the creator.
For the thinker, his commitment to heliocentrism was not a sign of rejection of religion. Using this theory, Bruno proved the truth of his Pythagorean idea, but did not deny the existence of God. That is, heliocentrism became a kind of mathematical way to complement and develop the philosophical concept of a scientist.
Tightness
Another powerful source of inspiration for Bruno was hermetic philosophy. This teaching appeared in the era of late Antiquity, when Hellenism experienced its heyday in the Mediterranean. The concept was based on ancient texts, according to legend, given by Hermes Trismegistus.
The doctrine included elements of astrology, magic and alchemy. The esoteric and mysterious nature of Hermetic philosophy greatly impressed Giordano Bruno. The era of antiquity has long been in the past, but it was during the Renaissance in Europe that a fashion appeared to study and rethink such ancient sources. It is significant that one of the researchers of the heritage of Bruno Francis Yates called him a "Renaissance magician."
Cosmology
During the Renaissance, there were few researchers who rethought cosmology and the structure of the universe as much as Giordano Bruno. The scientist's discoveries on these issues are set forth in the works On the Immeasurable and Innumerable, On the Infinite, the Universe and the Worlds and Feast on Ashes. The ideas of natural philosophy and cosmology of Bruno became revolutionary for contemporaries, which is why they were not accepted. The Thinker proceeded from the teachings of Nicholas Copernicus, supplementing and perfecting it. The main cosmological theses of the philosopher were as follows - the universe is infinite, distant stars are analogues of the earthly Sun, the universe is a single system with the same matter. The most famous idea of Bruno was the theory of heliocentrism, although it was proposed by the Pole Copernicus.
In cosmology, like religion, the Italian scientist proceeded not only from scientific considerations. He turned to magic and esotericism. Therefore, in the future, some of his theses were rejected by science. For example, Bruno believed that all matter is animated. Modern research refutes this idea.
Also, to prove his thesis, Bruno often resorted to logical reasoning. For example, his argument with supporters of the theory of the immobility of the Earth (i.e., geocentrism) is very indicative. The thinker cited his argument in the book Feast on Ashes. Apologists for the stillness of the Earth often criticized Bruno with an example of a stone dropped from a high tower. If the planet revolved around the Sun and did not stand still, the falling body would not fall directly down, but in a slightly different place.
In response, Bruno offered his argument. He defended his theory with an example of the movement of a ship. People jumping on a ship land at the same point. If the Earth were motionless, then on a sailing ship this would be impossible. So, Bruno reasoned, a moving planet pulls for itself everything that is on it. In this correspondence in absentia with his opponents on the pages of one of his books, the Italian thinker came very close to the theory of relativity formulated by Einstein in the 20th century.
Another important principle expressed by Bruno was the idea of the homogeneity of matter and space. The scientist wrote that, based on this, it can be assumed that from the surface of any cosmic body, the universe will look approximately the same. In addition, the cosmology of the Italian philosopher directly spoke of the action of general laws in various parts of the existing world.
The influence of Bruno cosmology on future science
Bruno's scientific studies always went hand in hand with his vast ideas about theology, ethics, metaphysics, aesthetics, etc. Because of this, the cosmological versions of the Italian were filled with metaphors, sometimes only understandable to the author. His works have become the subject of research debate, which does not stop today.
Bruno was the first to suggest that the universe is limitless, and there are an infinite number of worlds. This idea was contrary to the mechanics of Aristotle. The Italian often put forward his ideas only in a theoretical form, since in his time there were no technical means capable of confirming the scientist’s guesses. However, modern science has been able to fill these gaps. The big bang theory and the infinite growth of the universe confirmed Bruno's ideas several centuries after the thinker was burned at the stake of the Inquisition.
The scientist left behind himself reports on the analysis of the fall of bodies. His data became a prerequisite for the appearance in science of the principle of inertia, proposed by Galileo Galilei. Bruno, one way or another, influenced the scientific revolution of the XVII century. The then researchers often used his works as auxiliary materials for the advancement of their own theories. The importance of the works of the Dominican in modern times was emphasized by the German philosopher and one of the founders of logical positivism Moritz Schlick.
Critique of the dogma of the Holy Trinity
There is no doubt that the story of Giordano Bruno became another example of a man who mistook himself for the messiah. This is evidenced by the fact that he was going to establish his own religion. In addition, the belief in a high mission did not allow the Italian to abandon his beliefs during many years of interrogation. Sometimes in conversations with the inquisitors he was already inclined to a compromise, but at the last moment he again began to insist on his own.
Bruno himself provided additional ground for accusations of heresy. At one of the interrogations, he stated that he considered Trinity's dogma to be false. The victim of the Inquisition argued its position with all sorts of sources. The thinker’s interrogation protocols have been preserved in their original form, so today it is possible to analyze how Bruno’s system of ideas arose. Thus, the Italian said that the work of St. Augustine says that the term Holy Trinity did not arise in the Gospel era, but already in its time. Based on this, the accused considered the whole dogma a fabrication and falsification.
Martyr of science or faith?
The important thing is that in the death sentence of Bruno there is not a single mention of the heliocentric system of the world. The document states that Brother Giovano promoted heretical religious teaching. This contradicts the widespread view that Bruno suffered for his scientific beliefs. In fact, the church was furious with criticism as a philosopher of Christian dogmas. His idea of the location of the Sun and the Earth against this background became a childish prank.
Unfortunately, in the documents there is no specific mention of what the heretical theses of Bruno were. This allowed historians to suggest that more complete sources have been lost or deliberately destroyed. Today, the reader can judge the nature of the accusations of the former monk only by supporting papers (Mocenigo denunciation, interrogation protocols, etc.).
Especially interesting in this series is the letter of Caspar Shoppe. It was a Jesuit who was present at the pronouncement of the sentence of the heretic. In his letter, he mentioned the main claims of the court against Bruno. In addition to the above, the idea that Moses was a magician and that only Jews came from Adam and Eve can be noted. The rest of the human race, the philosopher urged, appeared thanks to two other people created by God the day before a couple from the Garden of Eden. Bruno persistently praised magic and considered it a useful thing. These statements of his once again show commitment to the ideas of ancient Hermeticism.
It is symbolic that the already modern Roman Catholic Church refuses to review the case of Giordano Bruno. For more than 400 years after the death of the thinker, the pontiffs never justified him, although the same thing was done with respect to many heretics of the past.