The Academie des Sciences (Paris), 1665-1699

FAIN: FT-12414-75

Michael S. Mahoney
Princeton University (Princeton, NJ 08540-5228)

To investigate the formative years of the Academie royale des sciences from its original establishment in 1666 to its reorganization in 1699, concentrating on the period 1666-1683 when Christiaan Huygens exercised unofficial leadership of the body. Study will focus on how science was transformed from a pastime pursued by individuals linked by (at most) informal, voluntary associations to an independent, organized, socially recognized cultural enterprise.