Madame Newton du Châtelet De verhouding tussen persoon en wetenschappelijk werk van Emilie du Châtelet

Samenvatting

The work of the well-known eighteenth century mathematician and physicist Émilie du Châtelet has long been subject to historical research describing her as a fickle, overly passionate bourgeois woman living scandalously, who distracted herself with mediocre
science. Thankfully, since the 1970s this view has been refuted by various historians arguing for the complexity and relevance of Émilie du Châtelet’s scientific work. This article brings forward a new perspective, combining both her scientific work and personal life in order to contribute to the history of science as a practice constituted within society. The article focuses primarily on the (posthumously published) writings of Du Châtelet on her position as a female scientist, and on her personal correspondence, in which she refers to her research from a practical perspective.