"It is immoral to hold an opinion in order to curry another's favor; mercenary, servile, and against the dignity of human liberty to yield and submit; supremely stupid to believe as a matter of habit; irrational to decide according to the majority opinion, as if the number of sages exceeded the infinite number of fools." - Giordano Bruno*, One Hundred and Twenty Articles Against Mathematicians and Philosophers
After eight years of imprisonment, Bruno was burned at the stake by the Roman Inquisition, for refusing to recant his opinions on the nature of the universe, on Feb. 17, 1600.**
*As translated by Ingrid Rowland in Giordano Bruno: Philosopher/Heretic.
**Bruno professed that he would recant were the Pope himself to declare him heretical, but would not recognize the authority of his inquisitors. The Pope did not respond.
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