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Quiz for Primary Source 16.3: Du Châtelet, Foundations of Physics

1. Which of these describes Du Châtelet’s attitude towards the thinkers and philosophers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

She saw them as irrelevant to the philosophical and scientific inquiries of her day.

She saw them as making flawed first steps towards real insight.

She saw them as examples of the ignorance and superstition of the past.

She saw them as intellectual giants who made the advances of the eighteenth century possible.

Correct. The answer is d. Du Châtelet believed that the work of Descartes and Newton in particular was invaluable.

Incorrect. The answer is d. Du Châtelet believed that the work of Descartes and Newton in particular was invaluable.

2. Which of these is reflected in Du Châtelet’s discussion of Newton and Descartes?

The growing role of the French state in scientific research

A growing backlash against secularism

Nationalist rivalry between Britain and France

The role of gender in eighteenth-century scientific discourse

Correct. The answer is c. As Du Châtelet pointed out, support of Newton or Descartes often broke down along national lines.

Incorrect. The answer is c. As Du Châtelet pointed out, support of Newton or Descartes often broke down along national lines.