"Intellectual Paris: The Scientific Capital of the Enlightenment" Author: [France] Bruno Translator: Deng Jie Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House

💡A flourishing and brilliant history of smart city development, showing the gathering and exchange of science and technology in the Enlightenment era.

【Editor's recommendation】

☆ This masterpiece by Bruno, an internationally renowned historian of science and professor at the University of Paris I, shows the development of "smart cities" in the Age of Enlightenment and depicts the myriad worlds of Paris, the capital of science. Science and technology are gathered here: hot air balloons, Canquet oil lamps, celestial mechanics, oxidation theory, metric system... Wise people are everywhere: academicians of the French Academy of Sciences with many works, rigorous and serious scholars and professors, inventors with passion for research, science enthusiasts who drink and chat...

☆A refreshing guide to exploring the history of Paris, interesting and fascinating: from the Latin Quarter to the outskirts of the suburbs, from the Rue Chausset-Antin to the Avenue des Temples, from the French Academy of Sciences to the Masonic Nine Sisters, from the laboratory to the museum shop, along the way you will encounter great masters such as Count Buffon, Marquis de Condorcet, Lavoisier, Diderot, and countless unknown people who have jointly shaped the wisdom of Paris...

☆A meticulous scientific picture of smart cities, all-encompassing and thorough, detailing the authority and influence of the French Academy of Sciences, the work of academicians, science in the Republic of Letters, the turmoil caused by the Encyclopedia, the geographical distribution of the scientific community in Paris, chemical technology and the five elements and eight works of Paris, machinery in the city of Paris, scientific performances by quacks, communicative science and serious science, various inventions in Paris, large-scale experiments such as water decomposition and balloon launches, scientific instrument manufacturing in Paris, scientific opinion and public education...

☆A brilliant and thought-provoking account of the birth of modern scientific concepts: How did Parisian scientific institutions and groups play an important role in the Enlightenment? How did science and technology improve urban life and industrial development in the metropolis of Paris? Why did the French Academy of Sciences, the "Scientific Inspector", conflict with the Revolution? How did scholars who served the royal power follow the trend and transform into scientists in the modern sense? As France entered the new world from the old system, science was also integrated into the general public, urban development, and changes of the times.

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【Content Introduction】

In the Age of Enlightenment, Paris was the undisputed capital of science. Science and technology converged here: hot air balloons, Canquet oil lamps, celestial mechanics, oxidation theory, metric system... Wise men were everywhere: members of the French Academy of Sciences with many works, rigorous and serious scholars and professors, passionate inventors, and science enthusiasts... Officials and ordinary people all showed crazy interest in scientific experiments, performances, teaching and discussions.

This book revolves around the vibrant scientific community of Paris in the 18th century. The internationally renowned science historian Bruno Bourneau explores the important role that the scientific and technological development of Paris played in the French Enlightenment. It not only focuses on scientific giants such as Buffon, Condorcet, Lavoisier, Diderot, but also on the countless inventors, adventurers, craftsmen, and sponsors who jointly shaped the wise Paris.

The book takes the French Academy of Sciences as the clue, covering topics such as the establishment of scientific institutions, discipline development, inventions and creations, scientific performances, and public health reforms. It depicts Paris on the eve of the Revolution in a new way, showing how modern scientific concepts are integrated into the general public, urban development, and changes of the times.

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[About the author and translator]

Bruno Belhoste is an internationally renowned historian of science, professor at the University of Paris I, and director of the Institute of Modern History. He was a director of the French National Society for the History of Science and Technology, a member of the Lavoisier Committee of the French Academy of Sciences, and an editorial board member of many internationally renowned academic journals or series. His research mainly focuses on the development of science in France from the 18th to the 19th century. He has written many books on the history of mathematics, engineering, and scientific institutions, including "Cauchy: A 19th Century Orthodox Mathematician", "History of Modern Science: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment", and "Wisdom Paris: The Capital of Science in the Age of Enlightenment".

Deng Jie holds a master's degree in art history from the University of Paris IV and a master's degree from the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Paris III. He currently teaches at the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Paris III, doing translation-related work and regularly giving lectures on French history and painting.

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【Related comments】

Gao Yi, Professor of History, Peking University

The unique value of Bruno's book is that it systematically demonstrates for the first time the role of natural science in the European Enlightenment, which makes up for a traditional shortcoming in related research. It is also ingeniously conceived and elegantly written, making it fascinating to read.

Yao Dazhi, researcher at the Institute of the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Paris in the 18th century was the birthplace of the Enlightenment and a gathering place for outstanding scientists, inventors and craftsmen. Professor Bruno focuses on the historical Paris, looking back at the city from a unique perspective, and examining the interactive relationship between the Enlightenment and modern science and technology. Readers will find that outstanding thinkers, great ideas, and important institutions are intertwined here. The magnificent palaces, ordinary streets, and beautiful buildings that are well-known to the world were once full of scientists, engineers, and inventors. Scientific ideas and technological innovations are integrated into the development of the city. Even the storm of the Great Revolution could not stop Paris from growing into a world science center.

H-France Review

A long-overdue book that fills a gap in the study of the French Academy of Sciences and its workings in the 18th century. Bruno brings to life the picture of science in Paris during a time of change... The book is lively and entertaining, and will encourage further exploration of the hidden corners of Paris, the city of science.

Bruno Belhoste is an internationally renowned historian of science, professor at the University of Paris I, and director of the Institute of Modern History. He was a director of the French National Society for the History of Science and Technology, a member of the Lavoisier Committee of the French Academy of Sciences, and an editorial board member of many internationally renowned academic journals or series. His research mainly focuses on the development of science in France from the 18th to the 19th century. He has written many books on the history of mathematics, engineering, and scientific institutions, including "Cauchy: A 19th Century Orthodox Mathematician", "History of Modern Science: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment", and "Wisdom Paris: The Capital of Science in the Age of Enlightenment".

About the Translator:

Deng Jie holds a master's degree in art history from the University of Paris IV and a master's degree from the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Paris III. He currently teaches at the School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Paris III, doing translation-related work and regularly giving lectures on French history and painting.