 Front page of 1701 edition | |
| Author | Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle |
|---|---|
| Original title | Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes |
| Language | French |
| Published | 1686 (1686) |
| Publication place | France |
Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds (French:Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes) is apopular science book by French authorBernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, published in 1686. The book expresses support forcosmic pluralism and discusses the topic ofastrobiology. Fontenelle speculated on the existence ofVenusians as a distinct species ofextraterrestrial life.
The work originally consisted of five lessons; a sixth was added in the second edition (1687). These lessons popularise the theories ofRené Descartes andNicolas Copernicus, taught through conversation between a Lady and a Marquise, spread over six evenings. They are preceded by a preface and a dispatchTo Monsieur L***.
Unlike many scientific works of its time,Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds was not written inLatin but in French, making it one of the first books to attempt an explanation ofscientific theories in apopular language. A precursor to it could be seen inGiordano Bruno's 1584 bookOn the Infinite Universe and Worlds [it].[citation needed]
It is an early exposition ofcosmic pluralism, the idea that thestars are distant suns which might have their ownplanetary systems, including the possibility ofextraterrestrial life.[citation needed]
In the preface, Fontenelle suggests that the offered explanation should be easily understood even by those without scientific knowledge, and he specifically addresses female readers.The book itself is presented as a series ofdialogues between a gallantphilosopher and amarquise, who walk in the latter's garden at night and gaze atstars. The philosopher explains theheliocentric model and also muses on the possibility ofextraterrestrial life.[citation needed]
It is significant that the Marquise is an intelligent and curious thinker, able to understand complex ideas and suggest her own, subverting the wide-spread misconception that women were not capable of comprehending higher concepts.[1]
It is the first work introducing the trope that sentient Venusians are gentle, ethereal, and beautiful.[2][3][4]: 547
The book was very well received both in France and elsewhere, and was regularly published. In 1691, Fontenelle was elected to theAcadémie française.[5]Fontenelle's work was not cast polemically against the world view of theCatholic Church or the Protestant churches, nor did it attract the attention, positive or negative, of theologians or prelates.
The book is Fontenelle's most famous work and is considered to be one of the first major works of theAge of Enlightenment.[citation needed]
The firstEnglish translation, titledA Discourse of the Plurality of Worlds, was published inDublin by Sir William Donville or Domville in 1687. The second translation, byAphra Behn, appeared in 1688 under the titleA Discovery of New Worlds[6] and the third, byJohn Glanvill, later in 1688, titledA Plurality of Worlds. All three are translations of the first edition (1686). Fontenelle added more material in the second edition (1687).Elizabeth Gunning translated a later edition into English in 1803 asConversations on the Plurality of Worlds.
Antiokh Kantemir translated it intoRussian in 1730, although the translation was only published in acensored edition in 1740, due to objections from theRussian Orthodox Church.[citation needed]
Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds public domain audiobook atLibriVox| International | |
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