Galileo Gambit
A logical fallacy in which someone argues that their rejected or ridiculed ideas must be correct because Galileo was also ridiculed and turned out to be right — ignoring that being mocked does not make one correct — i.e., "everyone says I am wrong, therefore I am right."
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Origin
The name refers to Galileo Galilei's persecution by the Roman Catholic Church in the 17th century for defending heliocentrism. The term "Galileo Gambit" was coined in 2005 by the science blogger Orac at Respectful Insolence. It is also known as the Galileo fallacy and is classified as a form of association fallacy.
Updated February 22, 2026