Mathematicians and Enlightenment Society
Overview
In the eighteenth century, mathematicians formed an integral part of society and culture. They exploited available avenues toward gaining patronage and prestige. Further, mathematicians such as Jean Le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783) influenced the intellectual developments of the Enlightenment, which radiated out from France. The writers and thinkers of that time, in turn, relied upon mathematical language and logic in a unique manner.
Background
By 1700, the Scientific Revolution had culminated mathematically with Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's (1646-1716) invention of the calculus along with Newton's universal theory of gravitation and his study of optics. The next generation of mathematicians turned to finding physical confirmation of these mathematical theories and to applying new mathematical tools, such as differential equations. However, mathematicians who were not independently wealthy needed to somehow secure financial support for their work.
Professorships were not necessarily a viable option for employment at this time. European universities had declined in importance as centers of mathematical research, in part because jobs in universities were limited in number and often went to people who possessed political connections rather than intellectual ability. These professors, furthermore, often wasted time in pointless debates. Even Newton had left Cambridge University and went to work for theEnglish Mint for thirty years, where he also gave positions to some of his scientific followers.
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