~ Emilie
- Me
- Hello Emilie, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?
~ No I don’t mind, shoot.
- OK, What events in your life may have sparked an interest in science for you?
~ Probably my family. The only way that anyone could get by or mold a place in society was if I was a mathematician. As you know, science and math are very close.
- oh, very strict I see…
~ yeah.
- Did you have any mentors?
~ Oh, of course! First of all Voltaire, we were in love. My husband didn’t mind though, I do believe he may have had an affair himself though. There was also Leibniz and Newton, Voltaire and I studied together.
- What do you think your greatest accomplishment was?
~ I believe it was when I helped translate the 1st French translations of Newton’s Principa.
- Do you think there were limitations for you since you are a woman?
~ I don’t believe there should be but unfortunately there are. Like you said I am a woman and men don’t take woman as seriously as other men.
-What are your religious beliefs?
~ I believe that humans reason cannot be used to combat ignorance, superstition or tyranny to build a better world. Some people may not agree with me but I feel I am correct.
- Did your ideas in math fit your fathers beliefs?
~ Yes, my fathers beliefs fit perfectly with mine.
- How did gender or class roles effect you?
~ Like I said men don’t treat women seriously so what I do to talk to smart men about science is dress up in mens clothes and go to the bar and play cards with the other men. At one time they rejected my application for a scholarary institution.
- What famous people are you friends of?
~ Well I didn’t really have “ friends” but I include these men as my friends : Flourent Claude Marquis du Chatelet Lamont. He is my husband, Voltaire , he was my lover and study partner. Marquis de Saint, I had three kids with him, I was in love with him while my husband and Voltaire. But before them there were Samuel Koeing, Pierre Louis de Maupertus, and Duede Richelieu, all lovers and tudors.
- Wow! That’s a lot of tutors/lovers, anyway the kind of knowledge do people study today do you or any of your lovers agree with it?
~ No, actually Voltaire was kicked out of France for writing a book that argues with the political standings of France.
- Thank You for your time today Mrs. Chatelet!
Works Cited
Physicsworld.com. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
Voltaire Residence / Residence of Voltaire. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
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Fantastic interview. Mdm. du Chatelet was a really interesting woman and an amazing thinker of the Enlightenment age!
ReplyDeleteThis was an very interesting interview Emilie du Chatelet . You seemed like you had an very interesting life time being an scientist .
ReplyDeleteI didnt fall in love with my mentor, but he was very helpful to me. Mentors are a great thing, Gassmann helped me learn almost all that i know.
ReplyDeleteThere are many great enlightenment thinkers, but it is way more impressive to me when they are women. I, as an artist, had to work with women a lot and i have great respect for women who make it big in society.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting learning about you. I think that because it wasn't very common for women during your time to be interested in mathematics that it would be creative of you. I think you were more creative in your work than I was in mine because my work was mostly influenced by Neoclassical style, the Baroque style, and the style of Louis XIV, because he was the king. Were there other people you knew who were not opposed to your interest in mathematics besides your family?
ReplyDeleteBeing interested in mathmatics and science must have made an exciting life. Being a woman, taking on these feilds was not the easiest at the time. You are admirable in that you are strong minded and have the potential to excel.
ReplyDeleteVery nice interview I really find it funny that you dressed up as a guy because there used to be a time when women were not allowed to perform in the theatre and all of the guys performed all of the roles no matter what gender.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I see that you've had a very weird love life as well. You are a very brave woman. I would never dress up as a man to proceed in my career. I admire you for this bold act. You are an icon.
ReplyDeleteUm...interesting interview. You are a very fascinating person Emilie. It seems you have a history of falling in love with your teachers...about four or five times. I only did this once. We share the fact that women struggled to get an education and be taken seriously just because we were not men. I find it very hilarious you went as far to dress as a man to get the smart guys attention. Very brave and intelligent move there.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you were a victim of sexism during your time, as your work seems very fascinating. I never had to put up with discriminations like you did, but you certainly did not deserve them. But going to such great lengths as to dressing like a man to be able to talk to other intelligent people must have meant that you were serious about your work!
ReplyDeleteSo Emilie du Chatelet , considering the fact that your father did what you did very well and you could relate to him because you did the same thing , how do you feel that we are in any way similar from our creative processes ? My father also was a dancer whom I could relate to as you did with your father .
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that your mentor was Voltaire and that you were in love and that your husband didn’t mind. Your greatest accomplishment of helping to translate the 1st French translations of Newton’s Principa is quite impressive. I think your story of dressing like a man and playing cards at bars so you could talk to smart men was very smart on your part. It's sad that women were not taken seriously to begin with.
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