by Galileo on About, Inc.website) To Galileo, the truth is "born of the times, not authority" (Brecht, Life of Galileo 42), as it is simple and visible to anyone who will open their eyes to see what is really there. The Church of Galileo's time did not believe this, nor did the Nazis of Brecht's lifetime. During the 1600's and even the 1900's, scientific discoveries of the time were handed over to this authority, either the Church or the government, who could use the knowledge as they pleased, whether it benefited humanity or not. This is the reason why Brecht, who did not voice his Marxist values during the reign of the Nazi Party, displays Galileo in the original Life of Galileo as a heroic character of whom he idolizes. Scientists can implement change and better the lives of ordinary people if they are determined like Galileo and stand up to authority for what they believe is right even when the political authorities refuse to accept their discoveries. When this occurs, scientists must simply continue their research in order to justify their discoveries even if those in power disallow it. Galileo may have recanted to the Inquisition in each version of the play, but in the first writing, he is not insulted by Andrea because the boy knows Galileo will not halt his research until it has been proven and accepted by all of mankind. According to Brecht's scientific stance in the first version of the Life of Galileo, science, if beneficial to the human race, should not be controlled by those of higher political power, but by those who make the discoveries.
Brecht also parallels Galileo's systematic and intensive research of the 1600's to that of the Marxist scientists of the 20th Century in the first version of the play. Martin Esslin speculates that Brecht focused on the scientific system being "an open system, relying on constant testings of its findings by experiment" (2103) that allowed all individuals to freely experiment at their own will.
