About
Bernard Le Bouyer de Fontenelle, born in Rouen in 1657, was a major figure of the Enlightenment. Nephew of playwrights Pierre and Thomas Corneille, he studied with the Jesuits and then law, before devoting himself to letters. Elected to the Académie française in 1691, he became perpetual secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1697, a post he held for over forty years, writing 69 eulogies of scholars. A popularizer of science, he is known for his dialogues and essays. He lived nearly a hundred years, a symbol of intellectual longevity.
* 1657-02-11 — † 1757-01-09
Major works
- Nouveaux Dialogues des morts (1683)philosophical dialogue
- Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1686)science popularization
- Histoire des oracles (1687)essay
- Digression sur les anciens et les modernes (1688)essay
- De l'origine des fables (1724)essay
Key milestones
- 1691Elected to the Académie française after five attempts.
- 1697Becomes perpetual secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
- 1733Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London.
Themes
Science popularizationEnlightenment philosophyQuarrel of the Ancients and the ModCritique of superstitionLongevity and wisdom
Sources: royalsocietypublishing.org · britannica.com