View source for Physics:Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds

{{Short description|1686 book by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle}}
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| caption        = Front page of 1701 edition
| author         = Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle
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| title_orig     = Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes
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| language       = French
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'''''Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds''''' ({{lang-fr|Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes}}) is a popular science book by French author Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, published in 1686.

==Content==
The work consists of six lessons popularizing the knowledge of [[Biography:René Descartes|René Descartes]] and [[Biography:Nicolaus Copernicus|Nicolas Copernicus]], given to a Marquise, spread over six evenings and preceded of a preface and a dispatch ''To Monsieur L***'' .

* ''First evening.'' That the Earth is a Planet which turns on itself, & around the Sun.
* ''Second evening.'' That the Moon is an inhabited Earth.
* ''Third night.'' Peculiarities of the Moon World. That the other Planets are also inhabited.
* ''Fourth evening.'' Peculiarities of the Worlds of Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, & Saturn .
* ''Fifth night.'' That the Fixed Stars are so many Suns, each of which illuminates a World.
* ''Sixth evening.''  New thoughts that confirm those of previous Interviews. Latest discoveries that have been made in Heaven.

== Analysis ==
Unlike many scientific works of its time, ''Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds'' was not written in [[Social:Latin|Latin]] but in French, making it one of the first books to attempt an explanation of [[Science|scientific theories]] in a popular language. A precursor to it could be seen in [[Biography:Giordano Bruno|Giordano Bruno]]'s 1584 book ''{{ill|On the Infinite Universe and Worlds|it|De l'infinito, universo e mondi}}.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}''

It is an early exposition of [[Philosophy:Cosmic pluralism|cosmic pluralism]], the idea that the [[Astronomy:Star|star]]s are distant suns which might have their own [[Astronomy:Exoplanet|planetary systems]], including the possibility of [[Astronomy:Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial life]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

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 of conversations between a gallant [[Biography:Philosopher|philosopher]] and a marquise, who walk in the latter's garden at night and gaze at [[Astronomy:Star|star]]s. The philosopher explains the heliocentric model and also muses on the possibility of [[Astronomy:Extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial life]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

It is the first work introducing the trope that sentient Venusians are gentle, ethereal, and beautiful.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=SFE: Venus |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/venus |access-date=2021-12-17 |website=sf-encyclopedia.com}}</ref><ref name="sagan197805282">{{Cite news |last=Sagan |first=Carl |date=1978-05-28 |title=Growing up with Science Fiction |language=en-US |page=SM7 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/28/archives/growing-up-with.html |access-date=2018-12-12 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite book |last=Stableford |first=Brian M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uefwmdROKTAC&q=Science+Fact+and+Science+Fiction |title=Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-97460-8 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=547}}

==Reception==
The book was very well received both in France and elsewhere, and was regularly published. In 1691, Fontenelle was elected to the [[Organization:Académie française|Académie française]].<ref>"Fontenelle, Bernard Le Bovier, sieur de." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 3 March 2007 [http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9034786].</ref>
Fontenelle's work was not cast polemically against the world view of the [[Organization:Catholic Church|Catholic 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 the [[Philosophy:Age of Enlightenment|Age of Enlightenment]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==Translations==
The first English translation was published in [[Place:Dublin|Dublin]] by Sir William Donville or Domville in 1687, followed by another translation by Aphra Behn in 1688, under the title ''A Discovery of New Worlds'' and a third by John Glanvill later in 1688.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cottegnies|first=Line|date=2003|title=The Translator as Critic: Aphra Behn's Translation of Fontenelle's "Discovery of New Worlds" (1688)|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43293732|journal=Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700|volume=27|issue=1|pages=23–38|jstor=43293732|issn=0162-9905}}</ref> Antiokh Kantemir translated it into [[Social:Russian language|Russian]] in 1730, although the translation was only published in a [[Social:Censorship|censored]] edition in 1740, due to objections from the Russian Orthodox Church. Elizabeth Gunning translated it into [[Social:English language|English]] in 1803. {{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

== See also ==

* Venus in fiction

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=5koGAAAAQAAJ&q=editions:0Wi_kli-8vNVAcR0 Full text of 1800 edition at Google Books] (in French)
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=VGoFAAAAQAAJ&dq=Fontenelle+Bernard+inauthor:Fontenelle&pg=PA1 Full text of 1803 edition at Google Books] (in English)
*[https://openlibrary.org/b/OL6981190M/Conversations_on_the_plurality_of_worlds. Full text of 1803 edition Digitized by Google, Free Download at OpenLibrary] (in English)
* {{librivox book | title=Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds}}


[[Category:Age of Enlightenment]]
[[Category:Historical physics publications]]

{{Sourceattribution|Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds}}