A New Worldview Emerges

The orrery, from The Young Gentleman's
and Lady's Philosophy (London, 1755) –
General Research Division, NYPL

The diffusion of Newtonian ideas prior to Newton’s death in 1727 was confined to the domain of mathematicians and natural philosophers as well as to a small circle of educated men who had acquired a taste for such studies. Wider dissemination required the unique genius of Voltaire and of Francesco Algarotti. What made Voltaire so effective an agent – apart from an unparalleled ability to seduce an audience by a masterful combination of shock and wit – was that he was neither a mathematician nor a physicist, but a literary giant aloof from the academic disputes over Newtonian ideas. In other words, Voltaire’s stature as an amateur in matters of science was the source of his contemporary appeal, demonstrating for the first time the accessibility of Newton’s ideas to nonspecialists. Equally successful was Algarotti’s transmutation of Newtonian ideas into an agreeable dialogue format, specifically intended to appeal to women, which mitigated the dryness of the subject matter with amusing digressions.

Plate from Voltaire, Elémens
de la philosophie de Neuton
(Amsterdam, 1738) –
Rare Books Division, NYPL

Other popular texts soon came on the market, ensuring that by the middle of the eighteenth century, Newtonian science had become a topic of general conversation. Women and children emerged as the audience of choice for publishers of popular scientific and philosophical works, while fashionable salons throughout Europe became pivotal venues for the discussion and dissemination of new scientific ideas.