The Bloomsbury Handbook of Émilie Du Châtelet - by Fatema Amijee (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The first scholarly volume on Émilie Du Châtelet's philosophy highlights her novel contributions to metaphysics, philosophy of science, and ethics.

As an understudied figure in the history of early modern philosophy, this volume re-positions her thinking alongside philosophical predecessors like Leibniz, Newton, Wolff, and Voltaire, as well as considering her own influence in the decades and centuries after her death.

Established and emerging scholars of early modern philosophy cover all aspects of Du Châtelet's philosophical work including her metaphysical views on the Principle of Sufficient Reason, the Principle of Contradiction, and natural theology, as well as her writings on epistemology, space and time, philosophy of mathematics, freedom, imagination and happiness. By positioning Du Châtelet firmly within the history of philosophy and the philosophy of science, Fatema Amijee's edited volume contributes to the renewed scholarly attention on early modern women philosophers. Essential reading for students and scholars of early modern philosophy, history of science, philosophy of science, and feminist philosophy, this go-to text on Du Châtelet marks a new era of scholarly attention for a formerly neglected figure.

Review Quotes

"In this volume, scholars and experts summarise the key topics of Du Châtelet's research, providing an overview of her work which has now been disseminated around the world. This handbook comprehensively presents the essential concepts and topics from the various areas of Du Châtelet's philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, natural sciences, mathematics and religion." --Ruth Edith Hagengruber, Director Centre for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientist, Univ. Paderborn

"Though long neglected, Du Châtelet is starting to be considered a central figure in eighteenth-century philosophy. This impressively comprehensive volume includes contributions by leading experts who jointly demonstrate the richness and philosophical importance of Du Châtelet's thought. It is an invaluable resource for students and scholars of early modern philosophy." --Julia Jorati, Professor of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

"This volume provides an accessible introduction to Du Châtelet's wide-ranging philosophical interests, while at the same time making important new contributions to our understanding of her work. For anyone interested in 17th and 18th century European philosophy, it will be an engaging and enjoyable read, offering something for students and specialists alike." --Katherine Brading Professor of Philosophy Duke University, USA

"In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the philosophy of Émilie Du Châtelet, the Enlightenment's most famous woman. This volume represents the state of the art. It covers a wide range of topics from Biblical criticism and Newtonian science to issues in epistemology and the nature of liberty. Highly recommended" --Andrew Janiak, Professor of Philosophy, Duke University.

"This is an excellent exploration of Émilie du Châtelet's original and profound theories. This volume sheds light on major philosophical questions such as the principles of reason and contradiction, space, freedom, etc and establishes the central place that Emilie du Châtelet now occupies in the history of philosophy." --Anne-Lise Rey, Full Professor of Philosophy of Science, Paris Nanterre University, France

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