April 26-28, 2018, Notre Dame hosts a conference on the philosophy of Émilie Du Châtelet, celebrating the completion of the English translation of her Foundations of Physics. The translated chapters are being made available here, on this website, as they become available. The complete translation consists of chapters from Isabelle Bour and Judith Zinsser's Emilie Du Châtelet: Selected Philosophical Writings, Chicago University Press, 2009; Lydia Patton's Philosophy, Science, and History: A Reader, Routledge, 2014; and the work of the Notre Dame group. We are grateful to Chicago UP and Routledge for allowing us to make the complete translation available online in one place.
The conference features talks and panel discussions from more than twenty scholars, covering not just the Foundations of Physics but also other philosophical works by Du Châtelet, discussing her work in detail, in its historical and philosophical context. The final panel discussion is on the topic of teaching Du Châtelet in the philosophical classroom.
Registration for the conference filled up several weeks ago. This conference is concrete evidence of the rapidly increasing engagement of 21st century philosophers with the work of this important 18th century philosopher. The conference begins with a celebratory dinner on Thursday April 26th. My thanks to everyone who has made the translation project, and then this conference, possible. I am looking forward to the event very much!