Émilie du Châtelet
Philosopher and Mathematician
Émilie was a philosopher and mathematician that lived in the early 1700s. Not surprisingly, women were not able to enjoy all of the places and spaces men of the day were. In fact, when attempting to join one of her teachers at a cafe, she was kicked out simply because she was a woman. After disguising herself as a man, she was able to re-enter and enjoy the conversations. She did not receive much of the credit due to her during her lifetime due to the station of women at the time and her relationship with Voltaire. Many of her achievements are believed to have been subsumed by his success.
Even still, Émilie became the first woman to have a scientific paper published by the Paris Academy in 1738. She is best known for her translation of Sir Isaac Newton's book Principia into French which contained the basic laws of physics. The book, published after her death in 1756, is still considered the standard French translation today. She made an important contribution to Newtonian mechanics by including her own original concept of energy conservation.
Émilie wrote a text about acquiring happiness which was incredibly candid. In the essay, she points out that women’s subordinate position limits their capacity for attaining full satisfaction and happiness. She was a vocal advocate of secondary education for women, arguing that they should have access to the same quality and level of education as men so that they may become prominent in the arts and sciences.
Powerful Quotes by a Powerful Woman
“The feeling of regret is one of the most useless and disagreeable that a human soul is capable of.”
“Let’s try to be in good health, to be devoid of prejudice, to have passions and to make them serve our happiness, to replace our passions by hobbies. Let’s try to nurture our illusions, to be virtuous, to avoid repentance, to push away sad thoughts and to never allow our heart to keep a spark of liking for someone whose love vanishes and who stops loving us. We have to leave love behind, eventually, at least if we get older, and that day must be the day when love ceases to make us happy. And, let’s endeavour to cultivate our fondness for studying because this liking makes our happiness independent from other people. Let’s protect ourselves from ambition and most of all, let’s try to know exactly who we want to be. Then we can choose which path to follow and endeavour to have it paved with flowers.”
