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Manuscripts as Pedagogical Tools in the Philosophy Teaching of Jean-Robert Chouet (1642–1731)

2021; Springer International Publishing; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-3-030-84621-3_7

2215-0064

Ann Blair, Anja-Silvia Goeing,

Historical and Literary Analyses

This chapter analyzes how the physics courses of Jean-Robert Chouet (1642–1731) changed across the twenty years of his career as a professor of philosophy, first at the Academy of Saumur (starting in 1664) then at the Academy of Geneva (1669–86). We compare eight surviving student manuscripts, noting much continuity but also some changes in organization, presentation, and content (in particular a greater attention to the topics of place and extension important to Cartesianism). Teaching by dictating a coursebook to students allowed the professor to adjust his course at every iteration. The students also exercised individual choice in the format, layout, and trappings of their manuscript coursebook, which could include an alphabetical index or decorative elements. The most famous of Chouet’s students whose coursebooks survive is Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1664–1753), who was later a friend of Newton’s. He studied philosophy with Chouet in 1678–80 and his coursebook, which unfortunately does not include the section on physics, is exceptionally beautifully kept and illustrated.