Abstract

Since 2006, her third centenary, the eminent female figure of French Enlightenment Emilie Du Châtelet has increasingly gained attention from international scholars. Given the fact that Elisabeth Badinter’s ground-breaking monograph was published in the 1980s,[1] a comprehensive description of Du Châtelet’s life and work, delivered by an expert of the French speaking community, has been long awaited. This is especially the case, since Voltaire experts Kölving and Brown have prepared the ground for French research on Du Châtelet, delivering material on her and Voltaire resulting in a voluptuous collection of “new documents and clarifications” [2] and a recently updated collection of letters from Du Châtelet.[3] In 2011, Du Châtelet’s extensive examination of the Bible was published,[4] and her translation and comments were re-edited in 2015.[5] An abundance of new material is waiting for interpretation, which is so monumental that any presentation is a challenge. Le Ru presents a succinct yet focused and well written analysis which delivers a considerable amount of information, suitable for reading by a broader audience. Likewise, this volume is exceedingly valuable for Du Châtelet scholars. It takes a very particular and systemizing stance on Du Châtelet’s entire opus and offers new perspectives. To introduce the intellectual dominion of Du Châtelet in all its facets, the book deals with philosophy, science, physics, mathematics, and morals. By doing so, Le Ru evokes the realm of Du Châtelet’s inspiration. The book is divided into two parts. The first delivers a short but profound analysis on the state of Du Châtelet scholarship. The second part adds new insights on Du Châtelet’s legacy. This highly informative book covers Du Châtelet’s work as a whole and offers its ownoutstandingly fruitful stance on research about Du Châtelet.