International project team brings Émilie Du Châtelet into focus with online edition of the Saint Petersburg manuscripts
The "Center for the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists" (HWPS) at Paderborn University published the first critical and first online edition of the early writings of philosopher, mathematician and physicist Émilie Du Châtelet. These are stored at the National Library in St. Petersburg. Together with the National Library of Russia and the French "Centre international d'étude du XVIIIe siècle", which is dedicated to the research of the 18th century, the team of the Center HWPS in Germany, directed by Prof. Dr. Ruth Hagengruber, examined the manuscripts of Émilie Du Châtelet for four years.
The Center HWPS was opened in 2016 to research the history of female philosophers and scientists in Paderborn. It is one of the world's most renowned institutions in this field. A special focus of the Center HWPS lies in exploring the writings of Émilie Du Châtelet. Hagengruber emphasizes the importance of the philosopher: “Newton and Leibniz defined the controversy of her era. Du Châtelet integrated both perspectives and created a new path in philosophy. Her philosophy of nature was immediately translated into German in 1743 and Kant wrote his first dissertation on her ideas. He was influenced by her throughout his life.”
On the occasion of Emilie Du Châtelet's birthday on December 17, the international project team now presented the first critical and digital edition of her manuscripts, further advancing digital research.
Further information: https://historyofwomenphilosophers.org/stp/
