In Questions Of Science The Authority

This statement is attributed to Galileo Galilei in many collections, but no verified primary source has been identified in his published works or letters. Galileo did articulate a strong belief that empirical reasoning should override tradition — most explicitly in his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) and his Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (1615) — but the specific phrasing here cannot be traced to a documented original.