Description
Novelist Honore de Balzac was the first to use the phrase "Paris savant" to refer to the dynamic Parisian scientific and intellectual community of the late 18th century. The Academy of Sciences was highly active during this time, and was a meeting place for intellectual and scientific elite, who worked together toward the diffusion of scientific knowledge into Parisian society. The Royal Observatory was a headquarters for French astronomy, as well as the great geodesic project to map all of France. The Royal Mint hosted courses in chemistry and mining, and the Arsenal near the Bastille housed the laboratory of Lavoisier, the most celebrated chemist of the age. This book is the English translation of Bruno Belhoste's Paris Savant: Encounters in Enlightenment Science, originally published in France in 2011. Belhoste discusses how the Parisian scientific community came into its important place in the French Enlightenment, focusing on the Academy of Sciences. Chapters cover subjects such as what role Parisian geography played in the movement, the contributions of French scientists to industrial and urban improvement, and how the Academy of Sciences clashed with the revolutionary crisis, resulting in its closing in 1793. The translation includes a prologue for English readers.
About the Author
Professor Belhoste studied history and history of science at the University Paris 1, obtaining his PhD in 1982 with a dissertation on the life and work of the mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy. He obtained his Habilitation in 2001 with a dissertation on the history of the Ecole polytechnique from 1794 to 1870. He was a researcher at the National Institute for Pedagogical in Paris (1986-2003) and a professor in the history of science at the University Paris 10 Nanterre (2003-2007) as well as at the University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne (2007-2018). He was also the head of the Institut d'histoire moderne et contemporaine (CNRS-ENS-Paris 1) (2014-2017), and has been Emeritus Professor since September 2018.
Reviews
This book paints a fascinating portrait of Enlightenment Paris in which the reader is invited to walk alongside the author through the streets, parks, and buildings where scientific history was made. It is a masterful introduction to the study and practice of science in eighteenth-century Paris. Chapters of Paris Savant could serve as stand-alone readings for undergraduate courses, as each begins with a well-chosen episode introducing people and places involved in different aspects of Enlightenment science. Furthermore, Susan Emanuel's fluid English translation makes this entire book a pleasure to read. * Tamara Caulkins, Isis *
Belhoste's work is an important contribution to Enlightenment studies, to our understanding of the Republic of Letters, and to the history of science. Itbrings together an intimate knowledge of French intellectual life with a deep understanding of the history of science-all narrated with eloquence and ease. * John D. Eigenauer, Erudition and the Republic of Letters *
... a long-overdue and much-needed work about the French Academy of Sciences and its ecosystem in eighteenth-century Paris... Belhoste paints a vivid picture of the Parisian scientific landscape in that transformational era... It is lively and enjoyable, and will provide the encouragement to further explore the hidden side of scientific Paris. * Larrie D. Ferreiro, H-France Review *
Belhoste's work is an important contribution to Enlightenment studies, to our understanding of the Republic of Letters, and to the history of science. It brings together an intimate knowledge of French intellectual life with a deep understanding of the history of science-all narrated with eloquence and ease...the scholarship is...profound. * John D. Eigenauer, Erudition and the Republic of Letters *
Originally published in French in 2011 (Colin), Susan Emanuel's outstanding translation brings Belhoste's important work to many more readers and scholars interested in the Enlightenment, the history of science, the history of Paris, and the workings of the Republic of Letters...Belhoste's thesis is that Paris functioned as the center of the Republic of Letters in the eighteenth century by virtue of its expansive and organized scientific programs and endeavors. * John D. Eigenauer, Professor of Philosophy, Taft College, Taft, CA, USA, Erudition and the Republic of Letters 6 *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199382545
Author Bruno Belhoste
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 635g
Dimensions(mm) 163mm * 239mm * 25mm
About the Author
Professor Belhoste studied history and history of science at the University Paris 1, obtaining his PhD in 1982 with a dissertation on the life and work of the mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy. He obtained his Habilitation in 2001 with a dissertation on the history of the Ecole polytechnique from 1794 to 1870. He was a researcher at the National Institute for Pedagogical in Paris (1986-2003) and a professor in the history of science at the University Paris 10 Nanterre (2003-2007) as well as at the University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne (2007-2018). He was also the head of the Institut d'histoire moderne et contemporaine (CNRS-ENS-Paris 1) (2014-2017), and has been Emeritus Professor since September 2018.
Reviews
This book paints a fascinating portrait of Enlightenment Paris in which the reader is invited to walk alongside the author through the streets, parks, and buildings where scientific history was made. It is a masterful introduction to the study and practice of science in eighteenth-century Paris. Chapters of Paris Savant could serve as stand-alone readings for undergraduate courses, as each begins with a well-chosen episode introducing people and places involved in different aspects of Enlightenment science. Furthermore, Susan Emanuel's fluid English translation makes this entire book a pleasure to read. * Tamara Caulkins, Isis *
Belhoste's work is an important contribution to Enlightenment studies, to our understanding of the Republic of Letters, and to the history of science. Itbrings together an intimate knowledge of French intellectual life with a deep understanding of the history of science-all narrated with eloquence and ease. * John D. Eigenauer, Erudition and the Republic of Letters *
... a long-overdue and much-needed work about the French Academy of Sciences and its ecosystem in eighteenth-century Paris... Belhoste paints a vivid picture of the Parisian scientific landscape in that transformational era... It is lively and enjoyable, and will provide the encouragement to further explore the hidden side of scientific Paris. * Larrie D. Ferreiro, H-France Review *
Belhoste's work is an important contribution to Enlightenment studies, to our understanding of the Republic of Letters, and to the history of science. It brings together an intimate knowledge of French intellectual life with a deep understanding of the history of science-all narrated with eloquence and ease...the scholarship is...profound. * John D. Eigenauer, Erudition and the Republic of Letters *
Originally published in French in 2011 (Colin), Susan Emanuel's outstanding translation brings Belhoste's important work to many more readers and scholars interested in the Enlightenment, the history of science, the history of Paris, and the workings of the Republic of Letters...Belhoste's thesis is that Paris functioned as the center of the Republic of Letters in the eighteenth century by virtue of its expansive and organized scientific programs and endeavors. * John D. Eigenauer, Professor of Philosophy, Taft College, Taft, CA, USA, Erudition and the Republic of Letters 6 *
Book Information
ISBN 9780199382545
Author Bruno Belhoste
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 635g
Dimensions(mm) 163mm * 239mm * 25mm
